Mitchell Starc Fitness Update: DC Awaiting NOC From Cricket Australia Ahead Of IPL 2026, Says Head Coach Hemang Badani

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IPL 2026: Mitchell Starc, the pace spearhead for the Delhi Capitals in this year's IPL season, is expected to miss the initial stage of the IPL with Cricket Australia (CA) keeping a close watch on his workload. In the press conference ahead of the IPL, Hemang Badani, DC head coach, clarified that the franchise still has no news on Starc's availability and is still waiting for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from CA.

"We are waiting for an NOC from Cricket Australia. Once we get that, then only we can say anything about Starc's availability," Badani said.

DC Director Sweats Over Mitchell Starc Fitness Levels

Meanwhile, DC's Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao showed concerns over Starc's fitness levels. "Starc will come, we are just waiting for the NOC because his fitness is the concern. We are just waiting for it," he said.

Starc's impact on DC has been huge. The left-hand Australian pacer was the second-highest wicket-taker last year, with 14 wickets from 11 games. As a result, he was retained by the franchise after being signed for Rs 11.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction.

Mitchell Starc is among several Australian players whose availability remains uncertain ahead of the IPL season, which kicks off on March 28 with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Fellow Australians Josh Hazlewood (RCB) and Pat Cummins (SRH) are also expected to miss the opening matches for their respective teams. In Cummins' absence, Ishan Kishan is likely to take charge of Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, injuries have ruled out Jack Edwards (SRH) and Nathan Ellis (Chennai Super Kings) for the entire tournament.

When Will DC Play Its First Match Of IPL 2026?

DC will open their IPL 2026 campaign when they face Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on April 1.