IPL 2024 – KKR – Australia – Mitchell Starc hints at leaving ODI cricket to ‘open doors for more cricket’

“For the last nine years, I’ve put Australian cricket first. I’ve given myself the opportunity to give my body a break and spend some time away from cricket with my wife, so that’s where my head has been for the last nine years,” Starc said in a press conference after the final of -IPL 2024 in Chennai, where KKR pipped Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to win their third title, with Starc playing a leading role.

“Moving forward… look, I’m much closer to the end of my career than the beginning. One format may go down. There’s a long time before the next one-day World Cup and whether that trend continues for me or not… open doors for more cricket.”

And franchise cricket could mean two months of IPL, a tournament he had played just twice in the past, for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2014 and 2015, but was often skipped to get fit and fresh from international cricket.

In fact, in all his years of playing cricket at the highest level – he made his international debut in 2009 – Starc has played only 137 T20s.

“I really enjoyed this season,” he said. “It’s been great, leading up to the World Cup, that’s the other side of the advantage of being here against amazing players in an amazing tournament. It’s a great start to the World Cup.

“Next year – I don’t know the schedule – but I’m excited, I’m looking forward to coming back next year and hopefully I’ll show up in the purple and gold. [KKR’s colours] again.”

Starc, the most expensive IPL auction buy ever when KKR spent INR 24.75 crore (US$2,982,000 approx.) had a terrible start to it, going wicketless in his eight overs in the first two matches during conceding 100 runs. He took time to settle, scoring three against Lucknow Super Giants and a four against Mumbai Indians, but came into his own in the playoffs, with 3 for 34 and 2 for 14 against SRH in Qualifier 1. and the last one.

“I have played a lot of cricket, so I can control myself,” said Starc. “I haven’t played a lot of T20 cricket in the last few years, so for me I was trying to find a rhythm [the] T20, and trying to stay ahead of the batsmen.”