'I still haven't heard from them..' - Mitchell Starc breaks his silence after being released from KKR

Before the IPL 2025 mega auction, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made some bold retention decisions on October 31. According to the new rules, each team can only keep six players. The defending champions, KKR, chose to keep Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Varun Chakravarthy.

However, the defending IPL champions chose not to keep Mitchell Starc, who made the headlines as the most expensive player in IPL history during last year's IPL auction, resulting in the sale of Mitchell Starc, who was purchased for an incredible 24.75 crores, and making him the most expensive player in IPL history. Meanwhile, Mitchell Starc recently spoke about his release and expressed regret for the franchise's lack of communication. 

In response to the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) decision, Mitchell Starc said he was disappointed by the call, but what surprised him the most was that he had not heard anything from the team about his release before the IPL 2025 major auction. He took 17 wickets in 14 innings the previous season, including several vital ones during the playoffs and finals. 

Starc disclosed that KKR management had not notified him personally about his release. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, he said, "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."

Mitchell Starc joins the elite list of Australian bowlers

Following a nine-year break, Starc returned to the IPL for the 2024 season, prioritizing his fitness for Australia's international commitments. In the meantime, Mitchell Starc is participating in the current home ODI series against Pakistan. The Australian fast bowler achieved an incredible milestone by taking three wickets at the MCG in an exciting performance during the first ODI against Pakistan.

With these wickets, Starc's home ODI wicket total reached 102, joining Australian greats Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne in an elite group. He now holds the record for most ODI wickets taken at home among 50 Australian bowlers.