IPL 2021: Mitchell Starc reveals the reason for pulling out of the league

Australia’s veteran left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc has been away from the Indian Premier League (IPL) for quite some time now. Starc had last featured in IPL in the 2015 edition but has been missing the elite tournament either due to injuries or to manage his workload. The seamer was expected to register for this year’s IPL auction, however, surprisingly he decided to let go of the opportunity.

The decision by Starc had left many cricket fans amused and bewildered. The 31-year-old, who has featured in 27 IPL games picking 34 wickets, finally decided to break his silence on his absence from the T20 Extravaganza. Mitchell reckoned that he is more inclined towards playing the red-ball cricket in the Sheffield Shield Trophy and is looking forward to essaying the role of a senior head in the Shield when many of the senior players will travel to India for IPL. 

“I wanted to play as much Shield cricket as I could. Managing a few little things with the body and wanting to play as much red-ball cricket as I could with certain guys heading off to the IPL, it was my intention to be the constant in the Shield team and hopefully play the role there as a senior head in the team” Starc told cricket.com.au, explaining his decision to skip the IPL.

Shield and Test match cricket is the pinnacle for me: Mitchell Starc

Thus far, the Australian seamer has featured in 5 games for his team New South Wales in the 2021 edition of the tournament. South Wales is one of the top contenders for qualifying for the finals as they are placed at the second spot in the points table with 29 points under their belt. Mitchell Starc is hoping that his team qualifies for the marquee event as he has never featured in the final of the league and dreams of winning the title.

“I haven’t played in a Shield final yet, I’d love to help the boys get there and take part and hopefully be a part of the group to win the Shield. That was my first intention. I’ve played three formats for a long time, and I find my game plan doesn’t change too much across the formats but still, Shield and Test match cricket is the pinnacle for me,” Starc concluded