"Teams don't forget the betrayal that easily" - Aakash Chopra questions whether IPL teams will be keen to buy Mitchell Starc

Aakash Chopra is unsure whether the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises will be keen to acquire Mitchell Starc even if he makes himself available for the next season of the tournament.

Starc recently said that he wants to ply his trade in IPL 2024. While fellow Australian seamers like Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have frequently been seen playing in the IPL, the left-arm pacer has opted to stay away in the last few years. However, he feels next year's tournament could be ideal preparation for the T20 World Cup to follow.

Reflecting on the development in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said he wasn't sure if Starc would get too many takers. He reasoned:

"Will someone buy him? He has never played after 2015. The problem with him has been that he has put his name many times and then pulled out. If you put your name and the team invests in you and then if you pull out before the tournament starts, you feel you have been betrayed. Teams don't forget the betrayal that easily."

The former Indian opener pointed out that prominent overseas players have tended to opt out of the IPL if they don't get a good deal. He elaborated:

"So it's going to be very interesting and everyone knows as well that if they are not sold for good money, then they pull out. No one says it officially but we have seen it many times, whether it is the English or Australian players. Teams don't forget that, they remember."

Chopra added that even if Starc puts down his name and gives a commitment, teams will be slightly skeptical about spending a huge sum on him. He added that they would also have to keep a backup plan in mind even if they opt to acquire him.

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"He has been absolutely phenomenal" - Aakash Chopra on Mitchell Starc's IPL record

Mitchell Starc represented the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2014 and 2015 IPLs.

However, Aakash Chopra acknowledged that Mitchell Starc is an invaluable asset. He said:

"What does Mitchell Starc bring to the table? He has been absolutely phenomenal. Whenever he has played in the IPL, he has been that runaway wicket-taker with both the new and old ball."

The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that the former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) seamer is both penetrative and economical. He said:

"He is actually unstoppable. From what I remember, he didn't even use to give seven runs per over and used to come and hit the ball on the stumps. The ball doesn't reverse in T20s but he used to do that as well. So Mitchell Starc is absolutely wonderful."

Starc picked up 34 wickets at an excellent economy rate of 7.17 in 27 IPL games he played for RCB. While he snared 14 wickets in as many games at an economy rate of 7.49 in the 2014 season, he accounted for 20 dismissals at an exceptional economy rate of 6.76 in the 13 matches he played in the subsequent edition.