Mitchell Starc was amongst the list of overseas players who returned home after the IPL 2025 season was suspended.
Delhi Capitals (DC) star pacer Mitchell Starc was amongst the list of overseas players who returned home after the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) season was suspended due to ongoing border tensions between India and Pakistan.
However, with a ceasefire agreed upon by the nations, plans of restarting IPL have surfaced. But according to Australian media, it is understood that Starc’s manager has clarified that the Aussie will not be heading back to India.
In such a case, we take a look at five potential candidates who can replace Starc in the IPL 2025.
Richard Gleeson is likely to be one of the hottest names ahead of the IPL 2025 as teams look for replacements. The 37-year-old England seamer played for CSK in the previous edition but only had two opportunities.
Richard Gleeson was a decent bowler throughout the #SA20. His pace and variations could make him a solid backup for any IPL team…
— ᴅᴋ (@coach_dk19) February 12, 2025
Wouldn’t mind seeing him as a replacement if RCB needs one..👀❤️🔥#RCB #IPL2025 #PlayBold pic.twitter.com/drg2CweDi7
Gleeson had a magnificent SA20 campaign recently for the runners-up Sunrisers Eastern Cape. He picked 14 wickets in 13 matches at an economy of 8.07. Gleeson was excellent in the final against MI Cape Town, picking 2 for 22 off his four overs. He bowled at a good pace and mixed things brilliantly to keep the batters guessing.
Mustafizur Rahman is the most experienced bowler to not have been picked by any team in the IPL 2025 auction. But he could still feature in the upcoming edition, considering the amount of players getting sidelined. The left-arm seamer has represented five IPL franchises and has played 57 matches in the league.
In IPL 2024, he played for CSK and picked 14 wickets from nine games at an economy of 9.26. More recently, he claimed 13 scalps at 7.35 economy in the Bangladesh Premier League. Fizz has played for Delhi Capitals previously, featuring in 10 matches across 2022-23 editions.
The Afghanistan pacer didn’t find any takers in the auction after playing two seasons for Lucknow Super Giants. Naveen-ul-Haq had a good season in 2023, snaring 11 wickets from seven innings at 7.82 rpo. IPL 2024 wasn’t as productive as he conceded at 10.19 for his 14 scalps in 10 innings. Naveen had a poor SA20 season as well but given his experience in the IPL, he could be a good replacement option.
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Will O’Rourke is yet to bag any contracts in the overseas T20 leagues. He showed glimpses of his potential with 3 for 26 and 2 for 17 in two of the outings against Northern Districts in the recent Super Smash. Considering his performances at the international level and the skill set he possesses, he could be a great option for Delhi Capitals. The 23-year-old towering fast bowler has had a short career so far but has shown great promise. He has played three T20Is for New Zealand and has claimed four wickets at 7.08 rpo. Overall, O’Rourke has 36 scalps in the shorter format at 7.86 economy.
Get set for Test cricket in the Tron with a Will O’Rourke Player of the Match performance on Test debut the last time out at @seddonpark. O’Rourke’s match figures of 9-93 were the best by a New Zealander on Test debut 🏏 #StatChat #CricketNation pic.twitter.com/OWB4nezGyH
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 13, 2024
Jason Behrendorff is another experienced name that DC can look at in case Starc is unavailable. Behrendorff can bowl with the new ball and also come back at the death with his variations.
In 168 T20 games, Behrendorff has picked up 203 wickets at an economy rate of 7.60. With bags of experience having played in the IPL too, Behrendorff could be a decent buy for DC as a replacement option.
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