Mitchell Starc Explains Decision to Skip Remaining IPL 2025 Matches

Mitchell Starc's Withdrawal from IPL 2025

Pacer Mitchell Starc of the Delhi Capitals has addressed his choice to not return to India for the remaining matches of IPL 2025. Following a week-long suspension of the tournament due to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Starc and several other international players returned home.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the suspension shortly after a match involving the Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals, which Starc participated in. This decision was made due to security concerns stemming from air raid alerts in nearby areas such as Dharamsala, Pathankot, Jaisalmer, and Akhnoor. The uncertainty surrounding the tournament's resumption led many overseas players to leave India. Although the BCCI later confirmed the season would continue, the return of foreign players remained uncertain.

While players like Pat Cummins, Travis Head, and Kagiso Rabada rejoined their teams, Starc chose to withdraw from the remaining matches. Mustafizur Rahim was brought in as a backup pace bowler, replacing Jake Fraser-McGurk.

Starc's Concerns About Returning to India

In an interview with a media outlet, Starc elaborated on his reasons for not returning to India, emphasizing that he felt it was the right decision given the circumstances. He mentioned having made a similar choice regarding the Champions Trophy held this year in Pakistan and Dubai.

"I’m comfortable with my decision and how I felt about the whole situation and how it was handled. That’s why I made my decision post-that, and my focus changed to red-ball cricket for about a week prior to coming over here," Starc stated.

"Time will tell with repercussions or how it looks with guys that didn’t return. But I’ve had my questions and concerns leading into that game, and obviously, we saw what happened, which played a part in my decision," he added.

Starc also reflected on his earlier decision regarding the Champions Trophy, noting that the delay of the tournament prompted him to consider players' preparations for upcoming Test matches.

Starc's Commitment to Delhi Capitals

Despite his absence from the remainder of IPL 2025, Starc reaffirmed his commitment to the Delhi Capitals. He mentioned that he had discussions at home before making the decision not to return to India due to the prevailing situation.

"I’m still heavily committed to the Delhi group, and I’m not someone that’s gone into tournaments and pulled out after being picked up in an auction or whatever that looks like. These are different circumstances," Starc explained.

"It was more a question of not having enough information leading into making a decision about things of that degree. I had a discussion back home, then came to a decision, and whatever comes from that, I’m comfortable with that, and we move forward," he concluded.

Starc was a standout performer for the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025, taking 14 wickets, including a five-wicket haul, with an average of 26.14 and an economy rate of 10.16 across 11 matches.

Delhi Capitals' Performance in IPL 2025

Unfortunately for the Delhi Capitals, they did not qualify for the playoffs, finishing fifth in the league stage with seven wins, six losses, and one no result, accumulating a total of 15 points from 14 matches.