New Delhi: The Delhi Capitals—a franchise yet to lift the Indian Premier League title—will be aiming to make history this time around by delivering a stellar performance. To this end, their players have already begun their preparations. For the Delhi Capitals, the immediate question is whether or not Mitchell Starc will join the team camp for the 2026 IPL season.
A report published a few days ago suggested that this formidable fast bowler—along with Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins—might miss the opening few matches of the upcoming tournament season. If Mitchell Starc is unavailable for the initial matches, it would come as a major blow to the team. The Delhi Capitals are scheduled to play their first match of the 19th IPL season on April 1st.
When will DC’s first match be played?
In the 19th season of the Indian Premier League, the Delhi Capitals are set to play their opening fixture on April 1, 2026. This match will be played against the Lucknow Super Giants. In light of this, Head Coach Hemang Badani has clarified that it remains uncertain exactly when Starc is expected to join the squad.
Speaking to the media, Head Coach Hemang Badani revealed that the team is still awaiting a ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) from Cricket Australia. He made these remarks when asked about Starc’s availability. The Australian pacer was last seen in action on the field in January 2026, when he played for the Sydney Sixers in Perth.
Starc has been away from the field for two months
Currently, Australian cricketer Mitchell Starc appears to play only One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test matches. Consequently, he was not part of Australia’s squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup. This clearly implies that he has not participated in any competitive cricket over the past two months.
Furthermore, looking at Starc’s statistics from the 2025 IPL season, he claimed 14 wickets across 11 matches at an average of 26.14, with his best performance being a haul of 5/35. He was the most expensive player sold in the IPL 2024 Mega Auction, when the Kolkata Knight Riders acquired him for a staggering sum of ₹24.75 crore.
When will the IPL begin?
For your information, the 19th season of the Indian Premier League is set to commence on March 28, 2026. The opening match is scheduled to be played between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad. This blockbuster clash will kick off on March 28, 2026, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore at 7:30 PM—preparations for which are already underway.