3 players DC can consider as Mitchell Starc's replacement for remainder of IPL 2025 ft. Jason Behrendorff 

In what comes as a blow to Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the remainder of the IPL 2025 season, star pacer Mitchell Starc is unlikely to return for the rest of the tournament.

The ongoing season came to a temporary halt and was suspended for a week. However, it is now set to restart on Saturday, May 17. The revised schedule means that the final will be played on June 3.

As a result of the same, several overseas players are unlikely to return or be available till the end of the tournament. Australia are set to play the World Test Championship (WTC) final starting June 11, owing to which Starc has expressed his unavailability for the remainder of IPL 2025.

According to an ESPN Cricinfo report, the Australian pacer has decided against rejoining DC. Delhi had signed Starc for a massive ₹11.75 crore and he is also their leading wicket-taker so far this season with 14 scalps. Delhi have three games remaining which are all crucial if they are to make the playoffs.

Losing their key pacer at this stage is a hefty blow. With Starc unlikely to return, here are three players whom the franchise can look at as his replacement.

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3 players DC can replace Mitchell Starc with for remainder of IPL 2025

#3 Ottneil Baartman

Sri Lanka v South Africa - ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024 - Source: Getty

South African pacer Ottneil Baartman was a part of the IPL 2025 mega auctions at a base price of ₹75 lakh but went unsold with no franchise bidding for him. The right-arm pacer has played 12 T20Is for South Africa and has bagged 17 wickets at an average of 19.23 and an economy rate of 7.43.

He has also played 97 T20s and is a wicket-taking bowler, picking up 132 wickets at an average of 18.18 and an economy rate of 7.21. The pacer also played in the 2024-25 SA20 season for SunRisers Eastern Cape and picked 11 wickets with an economy rate of 7.71.

Baartman has established himself as an able death bowler in the T20 format. His exceptional stats make him a worthy choice to replace Starc at DC for the rest of the IPL 2025 season.

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#2 Michael Bracewell

New Zealand v Pakistan - Men's T20 Series: Game 2 - Source: Getty

New Zealand spin bowling all-rounder Michael Bracewell can be looked upon as an option, as he will be available for the IPL 2025 playoffs. DC are set to miss out on Tristan Stubbs for the playoffs, who will fly back after the league stage, as he is a part of South Africa's WTC final squad.

In his absence, Bracewell could fill in as a handy lower-order batter and an extra bowling option as well. He has scored 3081 runs from 168 T20s at a decent strike-rate of 136.69 with a century and 17 fifties.

With the ball, the Kiwi has picked up 79 wickets in T20s at an average of 23.54 and an economy rate of 8.00. He was impressive with the ball for New Zealand in the 2025 Champions Trophy, picking up eight wickets from five matches at an economy rate of just 4.10.

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#1 Jason Behrendorff

IPL 2023: Qualifier 2 - Gujarat Titans v Mumbai Indians - Source: Getty

While DC have already signed Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman as a replacement for the remainder of the IPL 2025 season, the pacer has not received a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from his national board and is also a part of their series against UAE, which clashes with the IPL 2025 dates.

With doubts over Mustafizur's availability, Delhi can look at Australian quick Jason Behrendorff as another potential like-for-like replacement of Starc. Behrendorff is also a left-arm pacer who has played in the IPL before.

Behrendorff was a part of Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2023 season. He played 12 matches and picked up 14 wickets at an average of 27.64 and an economy rate of 9.21. His ability to swing the ball both ways with good pace could make him a viable choice for DC.