IPL Auction 2025: Mitchell Starc exposes KKR after being released: "I still haven't...."

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have made significant changes to their squad during the IPL retentions, most notably releasing their title captain Shreyas Iyer along with some notable names like Australian speedster Mitchell Starc and Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer.

The defending IPL champions opted against retaining Mitchell Starc, who made headlines as the most expensive player in IPL history after the franchise purchased the Australian fast bowler for an eye-watering INR 24.75 crore in the IPL 2024 auction.

Mitchell Starc expresses disappointment after being released by KKR ahead of IPL 2025 Mega Auction

Reacting to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) decision, Mitchell Starc expressed his disappointment over the call, but the most surprising thing was that he had not received any communication from the franchise regarding his release ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

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Starc admitted that it is a franchise cricket world, so such things happen while adding that all Australian players except for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) duo of Pat Cummins and Travis Head will go under the hammer at the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction.

Mitchell Starc was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph: “I still haven’t heard from them. It is what it is; that’s franchise cricket, so all barring the Hyderabad boys (Pat Cummins and Travis Head) will be in the auction.”

Despite a less-than-stellar season last year, where the Australian pacer took 17 wickets in 13 matches, Starc played a crucial role in KKR's title triumph, delivering the Man of the Match performance in the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

The 2024 season marked Starc’s return to the IPL after a nine-year hiatus, and he had made that decision to prioritize his fitness for international commitments with Australia.

Several big names from Australia to enter the IPL auction

Meanwhile, KKR retained Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep Singh, leaving fans eager to see how the roster will evolve in the auction.

Notably, other prominent Australian cricketers, including David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, and Mitch Marsh, will also enter the auction pool after being released by their respective franchises.

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Cameron Green and Glenn Maxwell were released by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB); David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, and Jhye Richardson were not also retained by the Delhi Capitals (DC).

Tim David and Matthew Wade of Australia were also released by the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat Titans (GT), respectively, ahead of the mega auction, which is set to take place this month.

Mitchell Starc achieves a big feat during the first ODI against Pakistan

Meanwhile, Mitchell Starc is playing in the ongoing ODI series against Pakistan at home. In a thrilling performance during the first ODI against Pakistan, the Australian fast bowler reached a remarkable milestone by claiming three wickets at the MCG.

These wickets took Starc's home ODI wicket tally to 102, placing him alongside Australian legends Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath in an exclusive group. He is now the fifty Australian bowler with the most ODI wickets on home soil.

The record for the highest number of home ODI wickets is held by Brett Lee, who scalped 169 wickets over 94 matches. Lee was followed by Glenn McGrath (160), Shane Warne (134), and Craig McDermott (125).