Delhi Capitals Suffer Major Blow! Aussie Star Opts Out Of IPL 2025

Australia speedster Mitchell Starc has opted out of the remainder of IPL 2025 with Delhi Capitals following the week-long suspension of the tournament due to the India-Pakistan conflict. He was in action for Delhi Capitals against Punjab Kings at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala when Pakistani drone strikes near the border triggered a stadium blackout.

Players were promptly evacuated and sent to New Delhi by train the following day.

As per the reports, Starc opted out of returning to India for the remainder of IPL 2025 due to the tense India-Pakistan situation. The left-arm pacer will now shift focus to preparing for the ICC World Test Championship final at Lord’s, starting June 11.

Meanwhile, fellow Aussies Pat Cummins and Travis Head are set to rejoin Sunrisers Hyderabad for their league fixtures, while Josh Hazlewood will evaluate his fitness before committing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

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Starc’s absence is a major blow to Delhi Capitals’ playoffs hopes, despite the addition of left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk, who also opted not to return to India. 

His Spouse and Australia Women's Team captain Alyssa Healy recently called last week’s situation in Dharamsala “terrifying.”

Here's what she said:

“There was a lot of anxiety around the Australian group because we didn’t have a whole heap of information as to what was going on,” Healy stated on the Willow Talk podcast.

“That’s probably been the really interesting and probably the scariest part of this whole situation, the misinformation.

“Quite close to what’s being fought over, but we were assured everything was fine, ‘everything is OK, it’s miles away, the game will go ahead and everything will be fine’.”

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