Aussie quick Mitchell Starc is eyeing a return to the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2024, first time since 2015, to prepare for the T20 World Cup which will be held in West Indies and USA in June. (More Cricket News)
Starc played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore for two season in 2014 and 2015 and scalped 34 wickets in 27 matches.
Starc was recruited by the KKR in 2018 but the former pulled out due to injury and since then, the Aussie star has given national duty more importance over IPL.
2024 is compartively light for Australia in terms of matches. There is a T20 World Cup scheduled between a tour of New Zealand in March and a white-ball series against Afghanistan, Ireland and England from late August.
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"Look it's been eight years. I'm definitely going back in [next] year," Starc told the Willow Talk Cricket Podcast about his IPL ambitions as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
"Amongst other things, it's a great lead-up to the T20 World Cup," he added.
"So a good opportunity to see if anyone's interested in the IPL, then lead into the T20 World Cup. And it is somewhat of a quiet winter next year…in comparison to this winter, so I think a perfect opportunity to put my name in," he concluded.
One key reason why Starc has not played IPL for a long time is that he wants himself fit for Test cricket. Starc has currently played 82 Tests for Australia and if he manages to play Australia's upcoming fixtures of the Future Tours Programme, the left-armer would see play his 100th Tes in the 2025-26 Ashes Series.
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"Not just get to 100, I would like to be good enough to be picked for 100 Tests. And then the big one obviously in a couple of weeks is the World Cup, which in India just goes to another level," he said.
"And then you look at the one-day format, it is sort of four years in between World Cups, so where do I see myself in that mix? But I have got to get to the end of this World Cup first."
"But we have got some superstars coming through. You have got your Jhye Richardsons, your Sean Abbotts, your Spencer Johnsons. You have got plenty of young guys coming through. [Lance] Morris is going to be a gun."
"I try not to look too far ahead with anything. Obviously, we want to do well in the World Cup. Then we have got five Test matches here in Australia and then I haven't actually played a Test in New Zealand, so hopefully I am on that tour and look forward to that challenge as well," he concluded.
