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AustraliaBowler
Mitchell Starc
- Age
- 36y 286d
- Bats
- Left-hand
- Bowls
- Left-arm fast
- From
- Baulkham Hills
- Age
- 36y 286d
- Bats
- Left-hand
- Bowls
- Left-arm fast
- From
- Baulkham Hills
Mitchell Aaron Starc, from Sydney, first tried junior cricket behind the stumps. As a lanky 14-year-old auditioning as a wicketkeeper for Western Suburbs, he caught the eye of coach Neil D'Costa, who told him to give up the gloves and offered to teach him fast bowling. Starc learned quickly and was bowling at 135km/h by 16. D'Costa credited his discipline, his curiosity and, above all, his willingness to listen. He went on to play for the New South Wales Under-17s.
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He made his Sheffield Shield debut for New South Wales at 19, taking 2 wickets. The following season brought 21 wickets in 8 matches, including 5/74 against Queensland. His breakthrough came in the domestic one-day competition: 26 wickets in 6 games at an average of 8.12, earning player of the tournament as his side won. At 20 he toured India in 2010 as a reserve without being capped, and his Test debut finally came against New Zealand at the Gabba in late 2011. His early Tests were modest, though at Perth against India he trapped Sachin Tendulkar lbw. He later spent time with Yorkshire learning to swing the Dukes ball.
Three five-wicket hauls against the West Indies and Pakistan in early 2014 secured his ODI place. After Shane Warne publicly called him too soft in December 2014, he led the Carlton tri-series with 12 wickets, including 6/43. At the 2015 World Cup he claimed 22 wickets at 10.18 with an economy of 3.50, was named player of the tournament, and removed Brendon McCullum for a duck in the final while conceding 20 runs from 8 overs. He rose to number 1 in the ICC ODI rankings, passed 160km/h at the WACA in November 2015 and took 87 international wickets that year.
Later highlights include 18 wickets in the 2015 Ashes, match figures of 11/94 at Galle in 2016, and becoming the first player to take two hat-tricks in one Sheffield Shield match. His delivery to dismiss James Vince at Perth was hailed as the ball of the 21st century. He set a World Cup record of 27 wickets in 2019, took 19 wickets and scored 155 runs at 38.75 in the 2021-22 Ashes, and led the 2023 Ashes wicket list with 23 before joining the 2023 World Cup squad.
In the IPL he joined Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2014 and was their top wicket-taker in 2015, leaving the franchise in February 2017. He returned in 2024 as the season's most expensive buy at 24.75 crores for Kolkata Knight Riders, who won the title, and is set to play for Delhi Capitals in 2025. Of Slovenian descent, he married Alyssa Healy on 15 April 2015; his brother Brandon competed in high jump for Australia at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
