Showing up late, Mitchell Starc joined the Delhi Capitals just before they face Punjab Kings at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday, April 25. His delay stemmed from nagging shoulder and elbow issues that kept him out of the early stages of IPL 2026.

Midway through the season, things started going wrong after a grueling run of matches. Bowling nonstop in The Ashes for more than 150 overs took its toll. Then came a bad slip during a Big Bash game in January.

Pain kept flaring up when he tried coming back in February.

That forced Starc into weeks of rehab in Sydney. Only later, on April 23, did officials at Cricket Australia give him the green light.

Mitchell Starc set for delayed debut as DC manages workload

Back with the group, yet Mitchell Starc probably won’t play when they face the Punjab Kings on April 25. Ease into things, that’s the plan, so his comeback game might be versus the Rajasthan Royals come May 1. Not jumping straight in. He’ll spend some days practicing, getting used to match pace again after being out since winter.

Without him around, the Delhi Capitals turned to their fast bowlers, with Lungi Ngidi taking the lead role.

Not far behind, Mukesh Kumar and T Natarajan added sharp support. Seven wickets in six games – Ngidi’s start stands out. That kind of output kept things balanced up front.

Mitchell Starc turned heads playing for Delhi during IPL 2025, arriving after that big ₹11.75 crore deal in the mega auction. Through 11 games, he found edges and bounced batters out, collecting 14 wickets total.

One moment stood tall: a five-for against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Visakhapatnam, something no foreign fast bowler had done for the team before.

Then, just like that, he stepped away mid-tournament, heading back home instead to shift focus toward the World Test Championship final.

Should things keep moving smoothly, Starc could rejoin the lineup before IPL 2026 wraps up. With the Delhi Capitals aiming high down the stretch, his return might coincide with the crucial matches ahead. Progress so far suggests he’ll be ready when the stakes rise.

Should things keep moving smoothly, Starc could rejoin the lineup before IPL 2026 wraps up. With the Delhi Capitals aiming high down the stretch, his return might coincide with the crucial matches ahead. Progress so far suggests he’ll be ready when the stakes rise.