Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has been cleared to join the Delhi Capitals (DC) for IPL 2026 after recovering from shoulder and elbow injuries, ESPNCricinfo reported on Thursday (April 23).
Starc has been out of competitive action for nearly three months. After a heavy workload in the 2025-26 Ashes, he hurt his left shoulder and elbow while diving to take a catch in a BBL match for Sydney Sixers against Perth Scorchers on January 25.
The left-arm quick experienced soreness upon returning to bowl in February but is now cleared to link up with the DC squad.
According to the report, Starc had a good week of pain-free bowling at home in Sydney before being cleared to participate in the IPL. He is scheduled to travel to India on Friday (April 24) and will undergo a ramp-up in bowling intensity, with May 1 clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Jaipur likely to mark his return.
Barring any further setbacks, the veteran pacer should be available for the rest of the IPL 2026 season.
Despite his absence, the Capitals have managed to win half of their six games so far, using a bowling unit featuring Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav. Starc's addition will only bolster their bowling attack.
Earlier, Mitchell Starc publicly hit back at "misinformed" media reports questioning his commitment, clarifying that his absence is strictly medical and he remains fully committed to joining DC as soon as he is fit.
"Despite the opinions and views of certain individuals with their platforms in and through the Indian media, I'm currently rehabbing and managing an injury in my shoulder and elbow, the extent of which I didn't know during the Australian summer. These individuals have made some strong statements around involvement in the IPL and provided heavily misinformed opinions of players, preached them as facts, and claimed to know my body better than me," Starc wrote on his Instagram story last month.
"With that said, I do acknowledge this injury setback and that the timing is disruptive to the Delhi team, and I apologise for that and to the fans for not being available for the early part of this season. I remain committed to joining DC, am in continual communication with the team, and will continue to do what I can to be available for DC as soon as possible," he added.
(With ESPNCricinfo Inputs)
