Mitchell Starc bowled match-winning spells in the Playoffs and Final of IPL 2024 to help KKR to win the IPL title.
Veteran pacer Mitchell Starc has voiced his disappointment over the lack of communication from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) management regarding his release from the squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) retention deadline on October 31.
The Australian quick, who made a notable return to the IPL after a nine-year hiatus, played a pivotal role in KKR’s 2024 title-winning campaign, where he claimed 17 crucial wickets, including match-winning spells in the playoffs and the final.
The latest IPL guidelines allowed franchises to retain up to six players for the next season’s mega auction. KKR retained Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Varun Chakravarthy, opting to release key players such as captain Shreyas Iyer, all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, and Starc. The move means Starc, along with other high-profile names, will re-enter the auction pool.
Starc’s IPL comeback this season was strategic, with the T20 World Cup following closely on the calendar, making the league an ideal platform for preparation. The prospect of honing his form ahead of the international tournament influenced his decision to join the IPL, aligning with fellow Australians Travis Head and Pat Cummins, who also entered the previous auction.
“I still haven’t heard from them. It is what it is; that’s franchise cricket,” Starc told The Daily Telegraph, expressing his acceptance of the situation while noting the different approach by the Sunrisers Hyderabad, who retained Cummins and Head.
KKR CEO Venky Mysore admitted that the limitations on retention spots complicated decisions, especially after a historic championship run.
“Obviously the number of retentions does feel less, because we first build a squad to compete. After achieving such a dominant season and winning our third championship, it becomes even more challenging to release players from a squad you’ve meticulously built,” Mysore stated.
Heading into the mega auction, KKR holds a purse of ₹51 crore, but with their Right to Match (RTM) options fully exhausted, the franchise will have to strategically rebuild, especially in the absence of core players who played instrumental roles in their title campaign.
This was a timely reminder of his skillsets by the batter, who is expected to be in heavy demand in the upcoming IPL 2025 auction.
His best season came in IPL 2022, where he amassed 451 runs in 15 matches.
