IPL 2019 Auction: KKR release Mitchell Starc

The Kolkata Knight Riders have released pacer Mitchell Starc ahead of the 2019 auctions. The 28-year-old was purchased for a whopping $1.8 million by the Kolkata-based franchise last year but was unable to participate, owing to a leg injury he had sustained.

While Starc admitted that playing in the IPL would have been a 'lovely bonus' for the left-arm pacer, things did not materialise as he received a text message from the franchise stating that he had been released ahead of the 2019 IPL auctions.

The move will now help the speedster, who has been plagued with a long list of injuries, to focus on the World Cup next year and the Ashes, especially with the clamour growing around the importance of balancing the workload of international cricketers.

“I got a text message two days ago from the owners of Kolkata saying I’ve been released from my contract, so at the moment I’ll be home in April,” Starc told reporters at NSW.

“I didn’t go last year with my tibia injury. It was a great opportunity to freshen the body up and let it heal by itself. Barring the little niggle in the hammy I feel pretty good with my body and my strength and the rest of it.

“If I don’t play the IPL next year it’s a good opportunity to freshen up for a massive six months of cricket in the UK.

“At the moment for me, I just want to play as much Test cricket and one-day cricket for Australia as I can. IPL is a lovely bonus on the pay packet but if I miss that to play more Test matches then I’m taking that option.”

This is not the first time that Starc has severed ties with an IPL team before the start of a season - in 2017, he had a mutual discontinuation of his contract with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in accordance with Regulation 41 of the IPL Players Regulation.

Owing to that, the Bangalore franchise entered the auction with another Rs. 5 crores in their budget and a vacant spot for an overseas player.