Kamal Ghorui
Aakash Chopra has raised concerns over Cricket Australia’s reported decision to delay Mitchell Starc’s availability for IPL 2026, questioning the logic behind resting a fully fit player.Starc, who was expected to spearhead the bowling attack for Delhi Capitals, is likely to miss the initial matches due to workload management despite not playing any competitive cricket for nearly two months.In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra expressed his confusion over the move, especially with other Australian quicks like Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins already sidelined due to injuries.“If Mitchell Starc is also not going to come at the start, what is Cricket Australia doing? You didn’t let Josh Hazlewood come, Pat Cummins isn’t coming, and now you have held back Mitchell Starc, even though he is absolutely fit. He has already said goodbye to T20Is. So what has he done in the last two months or so?” he said.Chopra pointed out that Starc has not featured in any matches since the 2025–26 Ashes and questioned the need to preserve him so early for the upcoming five-Test series against India.“He hasn’t played any cricket after the Ashes, but despite that, you have asked him to rest because a big Test season is coming up, in which there are five Test matches against India. That’s just before the next IPL. Why are you doing that now?” he observed.The former India batter also suggested that franchises may soon need to rethink their stance if players begin missing IPL matches despite being fit, simply as a precaution.Chopra also spoke about Lockie Ferguson, who is reportedly set to miss the start of IPL 2026 to spend time with his family.“I am thinking about Lockie Ferguson, and that’s a serious one. I don’t know whether he has an injury or not, but based on what I have read, he isn’t available for seven matches. He is saying he wants to spend some time with the family,” he said.Ferguson, who will represent Punjab Kings after being picked up for ₹2 crore, could miss a significant portion of the tournament, something Chopra believes franchises will need to take seriously.“He was available at the base price. He was bought for ₹2 crore. He is playing for New Zealand. Then he will go home and spend time with his family. It’s not a bad thing. Don’t judge anyone, but if you are leaving seven matches in the IPL after giving a commitment just because of that, then teams will have to realize that this is not right,” Chopra observed.Chopra added that there is a growing possibility of players opting for partial participation while earning pro-rata payments, though he clarified he was not accusing anyone of doing so deliberately.
