Delhi Capitals get ₹11.75 crore boost in IPL 2026 ahead of Punjab Kings clash; Will Mitchell Starc play in DC vs PBKS?

In a major boost for Delhi Capitals amid the Indian Premier League (IPL), Mitchell Starc will finally join the squad after six games, following the pacer's clearance by Cricket Australia. The 36-year-old has been on the sidelines with elbow and shoulder injuries and missed the T20 World Cup 2026.

Based on a Times of India report, Starc will be joining Delhi Capitals on Friday (24 April) morning and is unlikely to play their home game against Punjab Kings. The report stated that Starc is expected to be available against Rajasthan Royals in their 1 May fixture.

Starc's first tryst with IPL came in 2014 when he played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for a couple of seasons. Post that, the left-arm Australian pacer took a long nine-year break from the world's richest franchise league before returning to IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a triumphant campaign in IPL 2024.

Surprisingly, Starc was released before IPL 2025. He was picked by the Delhi Capitals for ₹11.75 crore during the IPL 2025 auction. Although Starc's joining is a big boost for the Axar Patel-led side, the Australian will miss two more games before taking the field in Delhi Capitals colours.

How have Delhi Capitals fared in IPL 2026 so far?

Having started their campaign with two wins, Delhi Capitals have been on and off in their next four games. While David Miller's overconfidence cost them against Gujarat Titans, they lost to Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Delhi Capitals will take confidence from their win against RCB.

With three wins and three losses, Delhi Capitals will have to win against Punjab Kings and RCB to keep their IPL 2026 playoffs qualification chances strong, before Starc steams in with the new ball.

When Mitchell Starc hit at critics

Earlier, Starc took to Instagram to hit back at the critics after the franchise chose to keep mum on the fast bowler's fitness update, leading to rumours, with fingers pointed at Starc's commitment to the club.

Taking to Instagram story, Starc himself gave an update on his fitness. “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 of which I didn’t know the extent of during the Australian summer,” Starc had said on 28 March.

“These individuals have made some strong statements around involvement in the IPL and provided heavily misinformed opinions of players, preached them as facts, and claim to know my body better than me,” added Starc before issuing an apology to the fans and the team members.

“With that said, I do acknowledge this injury setback and that the timing is disruptive for the Delhi team. 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. We are in continual communication, and I will continue doing everything I can to be available as soon as possible,” added Starc.

Catch the live updates from IPL 2026 with the complete IPL 2026 Schedule and the IPL 2026 Points Table. Also, know who are currently leading the charts in IPL 2026 Orange Cap and IPL 2026 Purple Cap.