Delhi Capitals head into their third IPL 2026 fixture against Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium tomorrow with two wins from two games and a growing sense of momentum under Axar Patel’s captaincy.
The early season form has been impressive and the wins over Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians have put DC firmly in the top four of the table.
But hovering over all of that positive news is one persistent question that the franchise has not been able to answer since before the tournament even began, when is Mitchell Starc coming back?
Where things stand with Mitchell Starc ahead of DC vs GT game
Bowling coach Munaf Patel addressed the Starc situation at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday and was honest about the lack of clarity. “There’s no update right now about when he will join the camp. The Australian doctors and physios will be able to update about that,” he said.
It is a situation that has been building for weeks, Starc missed the start of the season and while it was initially framed as workload management by Cricket Australia, the Australian left-armer himself later confirmed he is nursing an injury and is working toward joining the DC camp as soon as he recovers.
He played all five Ashes Tests against England in December and January, taking 31 wickets across 153.1 overs, and then featured in a few games for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League before going three months without any competitive cricket. With Australia facing an intense schedule of 21 Tests in the coming year, CA are being understandably cautious about his return.
What DC bowling coach Munaf Patel said about Mitchell Starc’s importance
Despite the wins without him, Munaf was clear-eyed about what Mitchell Starc means to this Delhi Capitals side.
He placed Starc alongside Jasprit Bumrah as the two best bowlers in the IPL, high praise from a man who played Test cricket himself and knows what quality fast bowling looks like. “He is one of the best bowlers in the world. I don’t think there is anyone bigger than him in the IPL as far as bowling is concerned. I think you can only compare Jasprit Bumrah with him,” Munaf said.
Munaf also acknowledged that the current winning run has masked the absence somewhat, “We have won two matches, hence it seems like we are not missing Mitchell Starc. No one is missing him because we are doing well, but he has a big role to play.” He added that he stays in regular contact with those tracking Starc’s progress and is constantly seeking updates on his availability.
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What his return would mean for DC
Mitchell Starc took 14 wickets in 11 matches for DC in IPL 2025 including a crucial role in their Super Over win against Rajasthan Royals, and has 65 IPL wickets from 52 matches across his career.
His ability to swing the new ball at over 140 kilometers per hour and take wickets in the powerplay is precisely the kind of threat that changes a team’s entire bowling dynamic. DC have won two games without him and Munaf deserves credit for marshalling his resources well, but the bowling attack with a fit and firing Mitchell Starc in it is a fundamentally different proposition.
For now the franchise waits, the Australian medical team holds the timeline, and DC press on with the squad they have, doing so very effectively.
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