Delhi Capitals (DC) Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly opened up about the uncertainty surrounding Mitchell Starc ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The former Team India captain expressed frustration over the Australian fast bowler missing the start of the marquee tournament.
Delhi Capitals are awaiting official clearance from Cricket Australia before Starc can join captain Axar Patel and the squad. The tournament is scheduled to begin on Saturday, March 28 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium with a match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
It Shakes the Balance of the Team – Sourav Ganguly on Mitchell Starc Uncertainty
Speaking during a Jakson brand endorsement event in New Delhi, Sourav Ganguly said that late withdrawals negatively impact franchise teams. He added that with talent spread across ten IPL teams, finding suitable replacements becomes very difficult.
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“It hurts… because when quality players don’t come in at the last minute, it shakes the balance of the team,” Ganguly said during a brand endorsement.
“It hurts because I’ve always said making an Indian team is easier than making an IPL team. Because the best players are available all the time to be picked. IPL is 10 teams, and players get distributed. And when quality players don’t come in at the last minute, obviously it shakes up the balance of the team.”
The Void Is Very Hard to Fill – Sourav Ganguly on Mitchell Starc
Ganguly said that the team relies heavily on its main strike bowlers and that losing key international players creates gaps that domestic replacements cannot easily fill.
“Because the substitutes, the availability is not as strong as the one who’s not turned up… But in IPL if Mitchell Starc misses out or Pathirana misses out, the void is very hard to fill. So that’s one of the challenges.”
Mitchell Starc bowled more deliveries in Test matches than any other international fast bowler over the last 12 months. Following the Ashes series, Cricket Australia wants to rest him before their upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, New Zealand, and India.
Workload Management Is Very Important Because… – Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly acknowledged the physical and mental toll of professional cricket. The Delhi Capitals Director of Cricket said that there is a need to manage player workloads carefully amid an increasingly congested international calendar.
“Workload management is very important because players do play a lot of cricket. It’s not just the IPL… more than physical, the mental part takes over. Away from home, away from families. It’s never easy. So it’s a balance which will continue to happen.”
Mitchell Starc retired from T20 Internationals ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. With him missing the initial IPL matches, Delhi Capitals will depend on South African pacer Lungi Ngidi to lead their bowling attack.
Delhi Capitals also signed Kyle Jamieson and Auqib Nabi Dar at the auction to strengthen their squad alongside retained bowlers Dushmantha Chameera and T Natarajan.
Also read: “Mumbai Indians are winning it” – Ex-England captain makes bold prediction for IPL 2026