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Delhi Capitals fans have been asking the same question since before the tournament began and on Thursday the answer finally started taking a more definitive shape. Mitchell Starc has been cleared by Cricket Australia to join the Delhi Capitals squad in India and is on track to make his IPL 2026 debut.
The big question for Saturday's home game against Punjab Kings is whether that timeline means he is available this weekend or whether DC will have to wait one more match before unleashing their most dangerous weapon.
The short answer for saturday DC vs PBKS game
Based on the Cricket Australia clearance and the reported timeline, Starc is not expected to feature against Punjab Kings on Saturday April 25. The plan as outlined by Cricket Australia is for him to join the squad in India, build up his bowling workload on the ground, and be available for the Rajasthan Royals fixture on May 1.
That suggests DC vs PBKS comes one game too early for the Australian left-armer, meaning Lungi Ngidi will again lead Delhi's pace attack on Saturday while Starc gets through his final preparation work ahead of what should be a landmark return next week.
The long road back for Mitchell Starc
Starc has been absent since sustaining elbow and shoulder injuries during Australia's summer season, a period that included all five Ashes Tests where he won Player of the Series with a stunning series haul, followed by five Big Bash League games for the Sydney Sixers in January.
The extent of the injuries only became clear after that workload and the rehabilitation process has taken considerably longer than many had anticipated or indeed been willing to accept. His absence from the early phase of IPL 2026 generated significant debate in the Indian media, prompting Starc to address the situation directly on Instagram in a post that was both an apology to DC and a firm pushback against what he described as heavily misinformed opinions.
"These individuals have made some strong statements regarding involvement in the IPL, provided heavily misinformed opinions of players, presented them as facts, and claimed to know my body better than I do," he wrote. He also acknowledged the disruption his injury caused for the franchise and apologised to DC and their fans for not being available in the early stages of the season.
What Mitchell Starc return means for Delhi Capitals
DC currently sit sixth in the table with three wins from six games and while they have shown genuine fight, most notably in a last-ball victory against RCB, the bowling attack without Starc has been a clearly diminished unit.
He took 14 wickets in 11 matches for DC last season leading their pace attack with the kind of powerplay aggression and death-over precision that this bowling lineup has been missing all season.
The attack that greets him on arrival includes Mukesh Kumar, Lungi Ngidi, T Natarajan, Kyle Jamieson and Dushmantha Chameera, quality operators who have kept DC competitive, but none of whom replicate the particular menace Starc brings with the swinging new ball in the first six overs. Adding him to that group transforms
DC's threat level significantly and arrives at exactly the right point of the season for a franchise that needs to string wins together to secure a playoff place.
