Mitchell Starc IPL Stats, Price, Age, Wickets, Team & Career Records

Mitchell Starc is one of the finest fast bowlers of the modern era, and his IPL career has been defined by long absences and spectacular comebacks. The Australian left-arm quick first lit up the league with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2014 and 2015, then disappeared from the IPL for eight seasons before returning in the most dramatic way possible: a record 24.75 crore move to Kolkata Knight Riders, a slow start, and then two Player of the Match performances in the playoffs that delivered the 2024 title.

Since then he has become one of the most talked-about overseas pacers in the league, moving to Delhi Capitals for 11.75 crore in 2025 and producing the franchise’s first five-wicket haul by a pacer. This article covers Mitchell Starc’s complete IPL story: his teams, auction prices, season-wise stats, best performances and career records.

Mitchell Starc IPL Profile at a Glance

Mitchell Aaron Starc was born on 30 January 1990 in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, Australia. He bowls left-arm fast and bats left-handed in the lower order.

Starc’s bowling is built around raw pace, late swing and a devastating yorker. At his best he is close to unplayable with the new ball, angling it across right-handers and then spearing it back in. In T20 cricket he has also mastered the wide yorker and the hard-length ball into the pitch, which makes him effective at the death despite an economy rate that has crept up in recent seasons.

His international record is extraordinary: more than 350 Test wickets, a World Cup winner in 2015 and a constant presence in Australia’s pace attack for over a decade. In the IPL, though, franchises long had to admire him from afar, because for eight straight seasons he simply was not available.

Mitchell Starc IPL Teams and Auction History

Starc’s IPL journey began in 2014 when Royal Challengers Bengaluru signed him. He was an instant hit in his first two seasons, taking 34 wickets in 27 matches and establishing himself as one of the league’s premier new-ball bowlers. His 2015 campaign, 20 wickets at an average of 14.55 and an economy of 6.76, remains the best season of his IPL career by the numbers.

After 2015, he vanished from the league. Injuries, workload management and a focus on international cricket kept him out of every auction from 2016 to 2023. He even pulled out of the 2018 season after being bought by Kolkata Knight Riders, so his association with KKR began with an absence rather than an appearance.

Everything changed at the 2024 mega auction. Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans got into a bidding war for the returning Australian, and KKR eventually paid 24.75 crore, at the time the highest price ever paid for a player in IPL auction history.

Ahead of the 2025 mega auction, KKR released him, and Delhi Capitals picked him up for 11.75 crore. It proved to be smart business: he gave them exactly the new-ball menace they had been missing. Delhi Capitals retained him for the 2026 season, though he missed the start of that campaign as Cricket Australia managed his workload, with his wife Alyssa Healy later indicating he was carrying an injury.

Mitchell Starc IPL Stats Season by Season

Across his IPL career, Starc has played 52 matches and taken 65 wickets at an average of 23.12 and an economy rate of 8.61, with best figures of 5 for 35. Those numbers only tell part of the story, because his impact has always been greatest in the biggest matches.

His 2015 season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru stands as his statistical peak: 20 wickets in 13 matches at 14.55, including 4 for 15 against Punjab Kings in Bengaluru. In 2014 he took 14 wickets in 14 matches at a superb economy of 7.49, remarkable control for a bowler of his pace.

The 2024 season with Kolkata Knight Riders was a tale of two halves. He leaked runs early and was criticised for his economy, but finished with 17 wickets in 14 matches and, crucially, produced his best when it mattered most. In the playoffs he was unplayable: 3 for 34 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1 and 2 for 14 against the same opponents in the final, both Player of the Match performances in a title-winning campaign.

In 2025 for Delhi Capitals he took 14 wickets in 11 matches, highlighted by 5 for 35 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Visakhapatnam. That made him the first Delhi Capitals pacer ever to take a five-wicket haul in the IPL, and only the second DC bowler after Amit Mishra to take a fifer. He also struck 3 for 42 on debut against Lucknow Super Giants and 3 for 43 against KKR, but his season was interrupted when he flew home during the tournament’s May suspension.

Mitchell Starc Best IPL Performances

Starc’s finest IPL night remains the 2025 demolition of Sunrisers Hyderabad. His 5 for 35 in Visakhapatnam ripped through the SRH top order in the powerplay, and he returned at the death to complete the fifer.

His 2024 playoff heroics for Kolkata Knight Riders run it close. After a difficult league stage in which his 24.75 crore price tag was questioned, he produced 3 for 34 in Qualifier 1 and 2 for 14 in the final, both against Sunrisers Hyderabad, to bowl KKR to the title. Winning Player of the Match in both games was the perfect answer to his critics.

Earlier in his career, his 4 for 15 against Punjab Kings in 2015 and 4 for 33 against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede in 2024 showed his ability to destroy batting line-ups on any given day. The Wankhede spell was particularly memorable because it came against a star-studded Mumbai Indians batting order on a flat pitch.

Mitchell Starc IPL Price and Salary History

Few players illustrate the IPL’s economics better than Starc. He went from a solid overseas signing at Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the most expensive player in auction history in the space of one comeback. His 24.75 crore fee from Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024 stood as the all-time record until Rishabh Pant’s 27 crore deal at the very same auction overtook it.

His 11.75 crore move to Delhi Capitals in 2025 made him one of the costliest pacers of that mega auction as well. Across his career, his IPL contracts reflect a simple truth: genuine left-arm pace with new-ball swing is one of the rarest commodities in T20 cricket, and franchises will pay a premium for it.

Comparisons with his peers underline his value. While Jasprit Bumrah has been the more consistent IPL performer over a longer period, Starc’s ceiling in big matches, as KKR’s 2024 title run proved, is as high as any fast bowler in the league. His Australian pace colleague Pat Cummins, who captained Sunrisers Hyderabad and also missed the start of the 2026 season under Cricket Australia’s workload protocols, has had a similarly stop-start IPL career.

Mitchell Starc Records and Career Highlights

Starc’s IPL record book has several standout entries. He is the first Delhi Capitals pacer to take a five-wicket haul in the IPL, and his 5 for 35 against Sunrisers Hyderabad is the second-best bowling figure by any DC bowler. He won the IPL title with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, taking Player of the Match in both Qualifier 1 and the final.

His 20 wickets at 14.55 in 2015 remain among the best single-season returns by an overseas pacer in IPL history. In the IPL, his legacy is that of the ultimate big-match bowler, a man who saves his best for the nights that decide trophies.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many wickets has Mitchell Starc taken in the IPL?

Mitchell Starc has taken 65 wickets in 52 IPL matches at an average of 23.12 and an economy rate of 8.61, with best bowling figures of 5 for 35. His most productive season was 2015, when he took 20 wickets for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Which teams has Mitchell Starc played for in the IPL?

He played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2014 and 2015, Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, and Delhi Capitals from 2025. He was absent from the league for eight seasons between 2016 and 2023.

What is Mitchell Starc’s IPL price?

His highest IPL price was 24.75 crore, paid by Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2024 auction, briefly the highest fee in IPL history. Delhi Capitals bought him for 11.75 crore in the 2025 mega auction and retained him for 2026.

What is Mitchell Starc’s best bowling in the IPL?

His best IPL figures are 5 for 35 for Delhi Capitals against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Visakhapatnam in 2025, making him the first DC pacer to take a five-wicket haul. He also took 4 for 15 for RCB in 2015 and 4 for 33 for KKR against Mumbai Indians in 2024.

Did Mitchell Starc win the IPL?

Yes, he won the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024. He was Player of the Match in both Qualifier 1 (3 for 34) and the final (2 for 14), both against Sunrisers Hyderabad, bowling KKR to the title.

Why did Mitchell Starc miss so many IPL seasons?

He missed the IPL from 2016 to 2023 because of injuries, workload management and a focus on international cricket for Australia. He also missed the start of the 2026 season under Cricket Australia’s workload protocols.