Starc Expresses Disappointment Over Omission

Gambhir a "Fantastic Thinker of the Game," Says Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc revealed he was not officially informed of his release by KKR before the IPL retention deadline.

Veteran pacer Mitchell Starc revealed that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) did not inform him of his release ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) retention list deadline on October 31. The star bowler played a significant role in KKR’s title-winning campaign in 2024, marking his return to the IPL after a nine-year absence.

Under the new IPL guidelines, franchises were permitted to retain up to six players before the mega-auction. KKR opted to retain Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Varun Chakravarthy. Consequently, key players including skipper Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, and Starc were released back into the auction pool.

Starc, who came back to the IPL as part of his preparation for the 2024 T20 World Cup, expressed disappointment over the lack of communication from the franchise. “I still haven’t heard from them. It is what it is, that’s franchise cricket, so all barring the Hyderabad boys (Pat Cummins and Travis Head) will be in the auction,” Starc told the Daily Telegraph. Notably, in the 2024 season, Starc took 17 wickets, delivering crucial performances in the playoffs and final.

KKR CEO Admits Building a New Squad will be Tough

KKR CEO Venky Mysore acknowledged the challenge of retaining a successful squad, especially after a victorious season. “Obviously the number of retentions do feel less, because we first build a squad and try to put all pieces in place in order to compete. And when you compete, and particularly in our case, thankfully, we won our third championship, and after that, it becomes even more difficult, because you really want to keep the squad that you have carefully built, who are also the defending champions,” Mysore said.

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With six players retained, KKR has used up its Right to Match (RTM) options and will enter the auction with a remaining purse of INR 51 crore.

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Last Updated on November 4, 2024