Mitchell Starc: The Life Story Behind Australia's Fast Bowler

Mitchell Starc is the most feared left-arm fast bowler in world cricket, a player who bowls at more than 150 kilometres an hour, and who has the best yorker in the game, a ball that swings late, and hits the stumps, and that no batsman in the world can play. He was named Player of the Tournament at the 2015 World Cup, with 22 wickets, he took 27 wickets at the 2019 World Cup, the most ever in a single World Cup, and he won the World Cup three times, in 2015, 2023, and the T20 World Cup in 2021, and he became the most expensive player in IPL history in 2024, and won the title, with Kolkata Knight Riders.

Born on 30 January 1990 in Sydney, Australia, Starc grew up playing cricket in the suburbs, and he made his debut for Australia in 2010, and he became the best left-arm fast bowler in the world, and the spearhead of the Australian attack, in all three formats, and he is married to Alyssa Healy, the captain of the Australian women’s team, making them the most famous cricket couple in the world. This is the story of Australia’s fast bowler.

Sydney, Australia, and a Boy Who Bowled Left-Arm Fast

Starc was born in Sydney, and he grew up in the western suburbs, and he was a wicketkeeper as a boy, before he grew tall, and started bowling fast, and he was picked for New South Wales as a teenager, because he was left-arm, and he was fast, and he swung the ball, and he was the future, and everyone in Sydney knew it, because left-arm fast bowlers are rare, and good ones are rarer still.

He made his debut for Australia in 2010, in a one-day match against India, and in a Test against New Zealand, in 2011, and he was raw, and he was wild, and he bowled no-balls, and he leaked runs, but he was fast, and he swung the ball, and he took wickets, and he was learning, and he was the future, and the selectors kept faith, because they knew what he could become.

When Mitchell Starc arrived at New South Wales in 2009–, he found a club that believed in him, and Mitchell Starc repaid that faith with interest, playing with a hunger the fans of New South Wales noticed at once, and a quality the coaches at New South Wales trusted, in match after match, as Mitchell Starc grew into a player the team could build around. He played domestic cricket in Sydney, starting as a wicketkeeper and becoming a fast bowler. The time at New South Wales shaped Mitchell Starc as a player, and as a person, and it is a period Mitchell Starc still looks back on, with pride, and with gratitude.

The Rise: The Wild Youngster and the World Cup

Starc’s rise came at the 2015 World Cup, when he was named Player of the Tournament, with 22 wickets, at an average under eleven, the best bowling in the tournament, and he bowled the ball of the tournament, a yorker to Brendon McCullum, in the final, at the MCG, that bowled the New Zealand captain, for a duck, in the first over, and Australia won, and Starc was the hero, and the best bowler, in the world.

The rise continued through the late 2010s, as Starc became the spearhead of the Australian attack, in Tests, one-day internationals, and Twenty20s, and he took wickets in every country, against every batsman, and he was the most feared bowler in the world, because his yorker was unplayable, and his bouncer was hostile, and his swing was late, and he was the best, in the world, at what he did.

The years at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, from 2014–2015, were the making of Mitchell Starc, because he learned to win there, to handle pressure there, and to deliver when the team needed him most, and those lessons stayed with Mitchell Starc for the rest of his career, in every club, and every country, where he played afterwards. He played in the IPL, taking wickets with his pace and his yorker. Those years at Royal Challengers Bengaluru remain a proud chapter in the story of Mitchell Starc, and in the history of Royal Challengers Bengaluru itself.

Mitchell Starc made Australia national team his home in 2010–, and the supporters took him to their hearts, because Mitchell Starc played with a passion that was obvious, and a skill that was undeniable, and he became one of their own, a player they still talk about, in Australia and everywhere, when they remember the best teams, and the best days, that Australia national team has ever known. He has become the spearhead of the attack, winning three World Cups and the T20 World Cup. It was at Australia national team that Mitchell Starc became the player the world would come to know, and Australia national team played its part, in making him.

The Peak: 27 Wickets, the Trophies, and the IPL Record

Starc’s peak came at the 2019 World Cup, when he took 27 wickets, the most ever in a single World Cup, breaking the record of Glenn McGrath, and he was the leading wicket-taker, by a distance, and he bowled Australia to the semi-finals, and he was the best bowler in the tournament, again, and he proved that 2015 was not a fluke, and that he was the best white-ball bowler, in the world.

He won the World Cup again in 2023, beating India in the final, in Ahmedabad, and taking three wickets in the final, and he won the T20 World Cup in 2021, and the World Test Championship in 2023, and he has won every major trophy in the game, and he is one of the most decorated players, in the history of Australian cricket.

He became the most expensive player in IPL history in 2024, when Kolkata Knight Riders bought him for more than twenty-four crore rupees, and he won the title, with Kolkata, taking wickets in the final, and proving that he was worth every rupee, and he is still in his mid-thirties, with time to take more wickets, and to win more trophies, and to become one of the greatest fast bowlers, Australia has ever had.

Mitchell Starc went into the Cricket World Cup in 2015 with expectation on his shoulders, and Mitchell Starc carried it, with a calm that impressed everyone, and a quality that decided matches, when they mattered most. He was named Player of the Tournament, with 22 wickets, as Australia won the title. That tournament is still talked about, when fans remember the best of Mitchell Starc, and the best of his sport.

The Cricket World Cup in 2019 was one of the defining tournaments of the career of Mitchell Starc, because the whole world was watching, and Mitchell Starc showed, that he could perform, on the biggest stage, against the best, in his sport. He took 27 wickets, the most ever in a single World Cup, as Australia reached the semi-finals. It was a performance that Mitchell Starc earned, and one that showed the world, exactly what Mitchell Starc could do.

Season after season, Mitchell Starc did the same thing, he turned up, he worked, and he delivered, and that consistency is the hardest thing in sport, because talent fades, form dips, and injuries come, but Mitchell Starc kept coming back, kept scoring, kept winning, and kept proving, that he belonged, among the best, for longer, than almost anyone, in his generation.

Cricket is a game of patience, skill, and nerve, and Mitchell Starc knows that pressure, because he played it at the highest level, in stadiums, that hold a hundred thousand people, and in matches, watched by hundreds of millions, in Australia and everywhere, and that pressure is something, that only the best, can handle, and Mitchell Starc handled it, for years, in Australia and around the world.

Australia: The Spearhead, the Cups, and the Star

For Australia, Starc is a hero and a legend, the spearhead of the attack, and the player who won the World Cup three times, and the T20 World Cup, and the World Test Championship, and who took 27 wickets at a single World Cup, a record that may never be broken. He has played for Australia in all three formats, for more than a decade, and he is the face of Australian fast bowling, a player who is loved at home, and feared around the world, because he bowls fast, and he bowls yorkers, and he takes wickets, when it matters most.

He has also played in the IPL, for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders, and he is one of the most popular players in Australia, a man who is known for his pace, his swing, and his yorker, and for his marriage to Alyssa Healy, the captain of the Australian women’s team, and together they are the most famous cricket couple, in the world, and they are loved, for their talent, and for their humility.

At the Cricket World Cup in 2023, Mitchell Starc proved, once again, that he was a player for the big occasion, delivering when the pressure was highest, and the stakes were greatest, in front of millions, around the world. He won the title with Australia, beating India in the final and taking three wickets. The Cricket World Cup of 2023 added another chapter to the story of Mitchell Starc, and it is one that his fans, will never forget.

The Indian Premier League of 2024 remains a vivid memory for the fans of Mitchell Starc, because it was a tournament where Mitchell Starc played with a freedom, a bravery, and a skill, that made everyone take notice, of what he could do. He won the title with Kolkata Knight Riders, as the most expensive player in IPL history. That tournament is still talked about, when fans remember the best of Mitchell Starc, and the best of his sport.

Mitchell Starc went into the T20 World Cup in 2021 with expectation on his shoulders, and Mitchell Starc carried it, with a calm that impressed everyone, and a quality that decided matches, when they mattered most. He won the title with Australia, beating New Zealand in the final in Dubai. It was a performance that Mitchell Starc earned, and one that showed the world, exactly what Mitchell Starc could do.

The Pace, the Swing, and the Art of the Yorker

Starc’s game is built on pace, swing, and the yorker. He bowls at more than 150 kilometres an hour, with a smooth, athletic action, and he swings the new ball, both ways, and he bowls a yorker, at the death, that is the best in the world, a ball that is full, and fast, and late, and that hits the stumps, or the toes, and that no batsman can play, when it is on target, and it is on target, more often than not.

What makes him special is his aggression and his intelligence. He is a hostile bowler, who bowls bouncers, and who stares at batsmen, and he is a thinking bowler, who sets batsmen up, who bowls a plan, and who executes it, and he is mentally tough, because he has come back from injuries, and from criticism, and he has taken wickets again, and again, and that is the mark of a great fast bowler, and a great man.

In 2015, Mitchell Starc won the Cricket World Cup as the Player of the Tournament, with 22 wickets, bowling Australia to the title. The Cricket World Cup of 2015 stands out in the career of Mitchell Starc, because it was won against the best, in the biggest arena, and it took everything Mitchell Starc had, to win it, and the victory made him a hero, at home, and a star, around the world. It was a win that Mitchell Starc earned, and one that no one can ever take away from Mitchell Starc.

In 2023, Mitchell Starc won the Cricket World Cup as a champion with Australia, beating India in the final and taking three wickets. Mitchell Starc still talks about the Cricket World Cup in 2023 as one of the great days of his life, because the whole team, the whole country, and the whole sport, were watching, and Mitchell Starc delivered, with a performance that was calm, brave, and brilliant, when the pressure was greatest. The Cricket World Cup of 2023 is the kind of triumph that defines a career, and Mitchell Starc earned it, with years of work, and a performance, that will be remembered.

In 2021, Mitchell Starc won the T20 World Cup as a champion with Australia, beating New Zealand in the final in Dubai. Winning the T20 World Cup in 2021 changed the career of Mitchell Starc, because it turned promise into proof, and talent into titles, and it gave Mitchell Starc the confidence, to believe that he could win, again, and again, at the highest level, of his sport. That T20 World Cup remains a landmark in the story of Mitchell Starc, and in the history of Australia sport.

The Injuries, the No-Balls, and the Critics

Starc’s career has had real setbacks. He has suffered injuries, including stress fractures in his foot, and ankle problems, and he has missed series, and he has missed tournaments, and he has had to manage his body, carefully, because fast bowling is the hardest job in cricket, and his body has paid the price, again and again, and he has kept coming back, because he loves the game, and he loves bowling fast.

There have also been critics, who said he was too expensive, who said he leaked runs, and who said he was only a white-ball bowler, and could not take wickets in Tests, and he proved them wrong, by taking more than 300 Test wickets, and by bowling Australia to victories, in every country, and by becoming one of the best Test bowlers, in the world, and that is the mark of a great bowler, that he answers critics, with wickets, not words.

The numbers tell their own story, for Mitchell Starc. He took 27 wickets at the 2019 World Cup, the most ever in a single World Cup. He was named Player of the Tournament at the 2015 World Cup, with 22 wickets at an average under eleven. He became the most expensive player in IPL history in 2024, bought by Kolkata Knight Riders. He has taken more than 300 Test wickets, and he has won the World Cup three times. He is married to Alyssa Healy, the captain of the Australian women’s team, making them cricket’s most famous couple.

The record book tells the story of Mitchell Starc better than any speech could, because every number in it was earned, in competition, under pressure, and against opponents, who were trying, just as hard, to stop Mitchell Starc, and that is why the numbers, will last.

Australia’s Spearhead, the Yorker King, and the Champion

Starc is widely regarded as the best left-arm fast bowler of his generation, and one of the greatest Australia has ever produced. He was Player of the Tournament at the 2015 World Cup, he took 27 wickets at the 2019 World Cup, a record, he won the World Cup three times, and the T20 World Cup, and the World Test Championship, and he became the most expensive player in IPL history, and he did it with a yorker that is the best in the world, and a pace that is unmatched.

His legacy is also about the yorker. He has the best yorker in the game, a ball that has bowled the best batsmen in the world, and young fast bowlers still study his action, and they learn that pace, swing, and a yorker win matches, and that Starc had all three, and that he was the best, and he earned that place, and he is still playing, and still taking wickets, and still the spearhead, of Australia.

In 2023, Mitchell Starc won the World Test Championship as a champion, beating India in the final at The Oval. The World Test Championship in 2023 was a triumph that Mitchell Starc will never forget, because it came after years of work, and it proved that Mitchell Starc belonged, among the best, in his sport, and the medal, the trophy, and the memory, remain among the proudest, of his whole career. It was a win that Mitchell Starc earned, and one that no one can ever take away from Mitchell Starc.

In 2024, Mitchell Starc won the Indian Premier League as a champion with Kolkata Knight Riders, the most expensive player in IPL history. When Mitchell Starc won the Indian Premier League in 2024, it was the reward for everything he had given to the game, the training, the sacrifice, and the belief, and it showed the world, in Australia and everywhere, that Mitchell Starc was not just a talented player, but a winner, who could deliver, when it mattered most. The Indian Premier League of 2024 is the kind of triumph that defines a career, and Mitchell Starc earned it, with years of work, and a performance, that will be remembered.

In 2019, Mitchell Starc won the World Cup leading wicket-taker as the leading wicket-taker, with 27 wickets, the most ever in a single World Cup. The World Cup leading wicket-taker of 2019 stands out in the career of Mitchell Starc, because it was won against the best, in the biggest arena, and it took everything Mitchell Starc had, to win it, and the victory made him a hero, at home, and a star, around the world. That World Cup leading wicket-taker remains a landmark in the story of Mitchell Starc, and in the history of Australia sport.

Beyond the headline triumphs, there were more, because Mitchell Starc also won the World Cup leading wicket-taker in 2019; the The Ashes in 2021; the The Ashes in 2023, honours that are easy to overlook, beside the biggest titles, but ones that show the depth, and the consistency, of the career of Mitchell Starc, year after year, tournament after tournament, at the highest level.

Count the honours, and the scale of the career of Mitchell Starc becomes clear, because the list runs to 8 major titles, medals, and awards, each one earned, in competition, against the best, in Australia and the world, and each one a chapter, in a story, that few players, in any sport, can match, for length, for quality, and for consistency, over so many years, and among them, the Cricket World Cup in 2015 stands tall, for Mitchell Starc and for Australia.

The journey of Mitchell Starc took him from New South Wales to Australia national team, with stops at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, along the way, and each stop taught Mitchell Starc something new, about the game, about himself, and about winning, at the highest level, in Australia and around the world, a journey that made him the player, and the person, he is today.

My Take:

I have thought a lot about what Mitchell Starc means, to his sport, and to his country, and this is what I believe.

What I admire most about Starc is the yorker, because it is the best in the world, a ball that is full, and fast, and late, and that hits the stumps, or the toes, and that no batsman can play, when it is on target. He bowled McCullum with it, in the World Cup final, in the first over, and that is the ball that won the tournament, and it is the ball that defines him, because it is perfect, and it is his, and no one else can bowl it, like he can.

The 2019 World Cup is the moment that defines him, because he took 27 wickets, the most ever in a single World Cup, breaking Glenn McGrath’s record, and he was the leading wicket-taker, by a distance, and he proved that 2015 was not a fluke, and that he was the best white-ball bowler, in the world, and that is history, and it will never be forgotten.

I also think Starc is underrated as a Test bowler, because people talk about the World Cups, but they forget the Tests. He has taken more than 300 Test wickets, and he has bowled Australia to victories, in every country, and he is one of the best Test bowlers, in the world, and that is greatness, and it is why he belongs, among the best, in the history of the game.

If I have a criticism, it is only the injuries, because his foot and his ankle have cost him series, and tournaments, and he has missed games that mattered, because his body let him down. But he keeps coming back, and he keeps taking wickets, and that is character, and it is why he is respected, by everyone, who plays, with him, or against him.

When I think about the yorker to McCullum in the 2015 final, I think about what it teaches, because Starc bowled Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, for a duck, in the first over of the World Cup final, with a yorker that was perfect, and Australia won, and Starc was the Player of the Tournament. And that is the lesson, that talent opens the door, but character walks through it, and Mitchell Starc walked through it, again and again, in his career.

The moment I keep coming back to is the 27 wickets in 2019, because Starc took 27 wickets at the World Cup, the most ever in a single tournament, breaking Glenn McGrath’s record, and he was the leading wicket-taker, by a distance, and the best bowler, in the world. It is the kind of moment that stays with you, long after the match is over, and it is why Mitchell Starc matters, not just as a player, but as an example, for anyone, who wants to be great.

Take the IPL title in 2024, and look at it closely, because Starc won the title with Kolkata Knight Riders, as the most expensive player in IPL history, taking wickets in the final, and proving that he was worth every rupee. That is not luck, it is preparation, meeting opportunity, and Mitchell Starc was prepared, because he had done the work, for years, before that moment, ever arrived.

I will never forget the World Cup final in 2023, because Starc took three wickets in the final, as Australia beat India in Ahmedabad, winning the World Cup, for a third time, in his career. Moments like that are why sport matters, and why Mitchell Starc will be remembered, long after the final whistle, of his final match, has blown.

Look at the record, and look at what it means, because He took 27 wickets at the 2019 World Cup, the most ever in a single World Cup. That is not a number on a page, it is a career, in miniature, and it is why Mitchell Starc belongs, among the greats, of his sport.

The numbers say it plainly, because He was named Player of the Tournament at the 2015 World Cup, with 22 wickets at an average under eleven. And numbers do not lie, they do not flatter, and they do not forget, and that is why the record of Mitchell Starc will stand, for years, to come.

One record, more than any other, sums up Mitchell Starc, because He became the most expensive player in IPL history in 2024, bought by Kolkata Knight Riders. It is the kind of achievement that takes a whole career, to earn, and a whole lifetime, to appreciate, and Mitchell Starc earned it, the hard way.

Look at the record, and look at what it means, because He has taken more than 300 Test wickets, and he has won the World Cup three times. That is not a number on a page, it is a career, in miniature, and it is why Mitchell Starc belongs, among the greats, of his sport.

The lesson of Mitchell Starc is a lesson for every young cricketer in Australia, because he proved that work, talent, and belief, win matches, and that a boy, from anywhere, can become a champion, if he is willing, to do the work, that others will not do, and to keep going, when others stop.

The fans of Mitchell Starc will tell you, that he was more than a player, because he gave them memories, that they will carry, for the rest of their lives, and that is the true measure, of a cricketer, not the runs, or the wickets, but the joy, he gave, to the people, who watched him play.

If you want to understand Mitchell Starc, start with the numbers, because he won 8 major honours, he played for 3 clubs or teams, and he set 5 records, that are listed, in his story, and those numbers were not given to him, they were earned, in competition, against the best, in the world, over many years, and that is why they matter, because they are the proof, of a career, that was built, on work, on talent, and on a refusal, to accept, anything less, than the best.

The future is still open for Mitchell Starc, because his story is not finished, and the next chapter, whatever it holds, will be watched, by millions, in Australia and around the world, who want to see, what he does next, and whether he can add, to a career, that is already, one of the greats, of his sport, and that is the mark, of a true star, that people care, about what happens next, long after, the biggest triumphs, are already, in the past.

The fans in Australia love Mitchell Starc, and it is easy to see why, because he gave them, something to believe in, and he never, let them down, and when he played, the whole country, stopped, to watch, and that connection, between a player, and his people, is the most powerful thing, in sport, and Mitchell Starc had it, in full, for his whole career.

What I would say to anyone, who doubts Mitchell Starc, is simple, look at the record, because the Cricket World Cup in 2015 is there, and the other honours, are there, and they were not given, they were earned, in the hardest, arenas, in the world, against the best, opponents, in the world, and that is the answer, to every doubt, that anyone, could ever raise.

The beauty of watching Mitchell Starc was the simplicity, because he made the hardest things, look easy, and the easiest things, look perfect, and that is the mark, of a master, in any sport, and it is why, young players, in Australia, still copy, the way he moved, the way he thought, and the way, he played, the game.

I have seen many great players, and Mitchell Starc belongs, with the very best, because he did it, for longer, and under more pressure, than most, and he did it, with a smile, and a humility, that made him, easy to admire, and hard, to dislike, and that is a combination, that few athletes, in any era, have ever managed, to achieve.

If Mitchell Starc had never won another title, after the Cricket World Cup in 2015, his career, would still matter, because of the way, he played, and the way, he carried himself, and the example, he set, for the next generation, in Australia and around the world, and that is the true measure, of a great athlete, not the count, of the trophies, but the size, of the example.

What stays with me, about Mitchell Starc, is the consistency, because year after year, season after season, he delivered, the same standard, the same effort, and the same quality, and that is harder, than one brilliant season, because anyone can be great, for a month, but only the best, are great, for a decade, and Mitchell Starc was great, for a decade, in Australia and around the world.

I think about the young Mitchell Starc, the one who started out, with nothing but talent, and a dream, and I think about how far he travelled, from those first days, to the Cricket World Cup in 2015, and the journey is the story, not the destination, because the work, the sacrifice, and the belief, are what made him, and the trophy, was only, the proof.

There is something about the way Mitchell Starc handled defeat, that tells you, more about him, than any victory ever could, because he lost, he learned, and he came back, stronger, and he did not blame anyone, he did not make excuses, and he did not quit, and that is why, his teammates trusted him, and his opponents respected him, at Australia national team and everywhere, he played.

The numbers tell one story, about Mitchell Starc, but the eyes tell another, because anyone who watched him play, could see, that he loved the game, that he played, with joy, and with freedom, and that love, is what carried him, through the hard days, and the injuries, and the defeats, and it is why, he lasted, as long as he did, at the very top.

I often wonder, what Mitchell Starc would say, to a young player, starting out today, in Australia, and I think he would say, work hard, believe in yourself, and never stop learning, because that is what he did, from his first day, to his last, and it is the simplest advice, and the hardest, to follow, and it is the reason, he became, one of the best, in the world.

The Cricket World Cup in 2015 was not the end, of the story of Mitchell Starc, it was the beginning, of the next chapter, because after that triumph, he was no longer, a hopeful, he was a champion, and champions are judged, differently, and he knew it, and he rose, to that judgement, again and again, in Australia and around the world, for the rest, of his career.

What I respect, about Mitchell Starc, is that he never took the easy road, because he could have stayed, where he was comfortable, and he chose, to test himself, against the best, in the biggest matches, and that choice, is what separates, the good from the great, and it is why, his name, is remembered, by fans, in every country, where his sport, is played.

When the history of Australia sport is written, the name of Mitchell Starc will be, in the first chapter, because he changed, what people believed, was possible, and he showed, a whole generation, that a boy from their streets, could become, a champion of the world, and that belief, is worth, more than any trophy, in any cabinet.

I have no doubt, that Mitchell Starc will be remembered, not just for the Cricket World Cup in 2015, but for the way, he carried himself, on and off the field, because he was humble, in victory, and gracious, in defeat, and he treated people, with respect, and that is the kind of greatness, that lasts, long after, the last match, has been played.

The best thing, about watching Mitchell Starc, was that you never knew, what he would do next, because he could surprise you, in any moment, with a piece of skill, that no one expected, and that unpredictability, is what made him, so exciting, to watch, and so hard, to play against, and it is why, fans in Australia, still talk about him, today.

I have watched Mitchell Starc for years, and the thing that strikes me, every time, is the intelligence, because he reads the game, two moves ahead, and he is already, where the ball will be, before anyone else, has even moved, and that anticipation is not luck, it is study, and it is why Mitchell Starc was so hard, to play against, in Australia and around the world, for so many years.

In the end, the story of Mitchell Starc is a story about a boy from Australia, who worked, who believed, and who became, one of the best, in the world, and that story will be told, for generations, by fans, who saw him play, and by young players, who want, to follow him.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Mitchell Starc born?

Mitchell Starc was born on 30 January 1990 in Sydney, Australia. He started as a wicketkeeper as a boy, before growing tall and becoming a left-arm fast bowler, debuting for Australia in 2010.

How many wickets did Mitchell Starc take at the 2019 World Cup?

Starc took 27 wickets at the 2019 World Cup, the most ever in a single World Cup, breaking Glenn McGrath’s record. He was the leading wicket-taker by a distance, as Australia reached the semi-finals.

Was Mitchell Starc the Player of the Tournament in 2015?

Yes, Starc was named Player of the Tournament at the 2015 World Cup, with 22 wickets at an average under eleven. He bowled Brendon McCullum with a yorker in the first over of the final, as Australia won the title.

Is Mitchell Starc married to Alyssa Healy?

Yes, Starc is married to Alyssa Healy, the captain of the Australian women’s cricket team and a wicketkeeper-batter. They are the most famous cricket couple in the world.

How much did Kolkata pay for Mitchell Starc in the IPL?

Kolkata Knight Riders bought Starc for more than twenty-four crore rupees in the 2024 IPL auction, making him the most expensive player in IPL history at the time. He won the title with Kolkata in his first season.