Mitchell Starc, who was the Player of the Final in KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) IPL 2024 title win, has revealed that he hasn’t been contacted by the franchise officials. Starc wasn’t retained by the KKR franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Mitchell Starc had made headlines as the most expensive player in IPL history after the franchise purchased the Australian fast bowler for an eye-watering INR 24.75 crore in the IPL 2024 auction.
IPL 2024 was Starc’s comeback to the IPL after a nine-year absence motivated by a desire to prioritize his fitness for Australian international obligations. Starc contributed significantly to KKR’s championship victory, earning a Man of the Match award with figures of 2/14.
Mitchell Starc disappointed after no communication from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise
Mitchell Starc expressed disappointment with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) decision, but the most shocking aspect was that he had not gotten any word from the franchise regarding his release before the IPL 2025 major auction.
Starc stated that such things happen in the franchise cricket world, adding that all Australian players, except the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) combo of Pat Cummins and Travis Head, will be auctioned off at the next IPL 2025 big auction.
“I still haven’t heard from them. It is what it is; that’s franchise cricket, so all barring the Hyderabad boys (Pat Cummins and Travis Head) will be in the auction,” Starc told The Daily Telegraph.
KKR kept Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep Singh, leaving fans curious about how the squad will change in the auction.
Notably, other renowned Australian cricketers, such as David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, and Mitch Marsh, will join the auction pool after being released by their respective franchises.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) released Cameron Green and Glenn Maxwell, while the Delhi Capitals did not keep David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, or Jhye Richardson. The Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat Titans (GT) have also released Australian players Tim David and Matthew Wade.
List of Australians Released from IPL Contracts for 2025:
- Mitchell Starc (KKR, $4.4m)
- Cameron Green (RCB, $3.15m)
- Glenn Maxwell (RCB, $2m)
- David Warner (DC, $1.16m)
- Jhye Richardson (DC, $892,000)
- Matthew Wade (GT, $446,000)
Also Read: Virat Kohli Suggested RCB To Omit Mohammad Siraj Ahead Of IPL 2025? Director Of Cricket Explains