IPL 2026: Starc's Injury Forces Him to Miss Additional DC Matches

Australia's fast bowler Mitchell Starc is set to miss three more games before he finally joins the Delhi Capitals (DC) camp for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). At 36, he's currently on the mend from a shoulder and elbow injury, which has kept him out of the first two matches of the season. 

 

Starc hasn't played any professional cricket since he represented the Sydney Sixers in five Big Bash League matches back in late January. Prior to that, he was busy in the Ashes, playing all five Test matches against England, where he shone as the Player of the Tournament with an impressive 31 wickets. 

 

Reports suggest that Starc won't be joining the DC squad until April 20, meaning he'll miss three more games for the 2020 finalists. The team from the capital is set to face the Gujarat Titans on April 8, followed by the Chennai Super Kings on April 11, and then the defending champions, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, on April 18. If everything goes according to plan, DC can expect their star pacer to arrive just in time for their match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. 

 

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Starc is undoubtedly one of the top bowlers in the game today. However, DC hasn't felt his absence too keenly, having won their first two games of the new season. They kicked off their campaign with a victory over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and followed it up with a win against the Mumbai Indians. 

 

Under Axar Patel’s leadership, T. Natarajan and Lungi Ngidi both stepped up against LSG, each taking three wickets to secure the win. In their second match against MI, Mukesh Kumar made a significant impact, claiming two wickets in a single over to put DC firmly in control. 

 

Starc joined DC ahead of the 2025 season after playing a key role in helping the Kolkata Knight Riders clinch the IPL title in 2024. Last season, the left-arm fast bowler took 14 wickets in 11 matches, including a standout five-wicket haul against SRH in Visakhapatnam.