Delhi Capitals Coach Hemang Badani Praises Mitchell Starc’s Work Ethic After Match-Winning Spell

Mitchell Starc continued to prove his value for Delhi Capitals with a brilliant four-wicket haul against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, prompting head coach Hemang Badani to hail the Australian fast bowler’s professionalism and influence on the squad.

Starc, who joined DC late in the Indian Premier League 2026 after recovering from shoulder and elbow issues, delivered match-winning figures of 4 for 40 as Delhi kept their playoff hopes alive. Since making his first appearance on May 1, the left-arm pacer has claimed nine wickets in five matches, including two three-wicket hauls.

Speaking after the victory, Badani described Starc as one of the finest role models in modern cricket.

“His work ethic, preparation and training standards are above par,” Badani said. “Even many younger players don’t match that intensity, and that’s one of the reasons he has been able to sustain success for so long.”

The DC coach also highlighted Starc’s role in mentoring younger bowlers in the squad.

“He’s constantly sharing knowledge with the younger lads — how to reverse swing the ball, how to hold lengths, how to react when a batter attacks. He discusses whether to go for wickets or bowl defensively depending on the situation. There’s immense value in the conversations he brings,” Badani added.

Starc’s Stunning Comeback Spell

Starc’s outing did not begin well as Yashasvi Jaiswal struck two boundaries in his opening over. In his second over, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel attacked aggressively, taking 16 runs with a six and two fours.

However, once the ball began reversing, Starc turned the game decisively in Delhi’s favour. Mixing sharp pace, cutters and reverse swing, he ripped through the RR middle order in a devastating spell.

In the 15th over, Starc dismissed Riyan Parag, Donovan Ferreira and Ravi Singh in quick succession, before removing Dasun Shanaka later in the innings.

Former India batter Ambati Rayudu credited the reverse swing and a stunning catch from Axar Patel for changing the momentum.

“He didn’t start well with the new ball, but once the ball started tailing in and reversing, he knew exactly what variations to use,” Rayudu said during ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show. “Axar’s catch was exceptional and really set things up for Starc.”

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar also praised Starc’s pace through the air and ability to make the ball tail in sharply — a trademark skill that has troubled batters across formats.

Delayed Arrival Frustrated DC Management

Starc’s delayed entry into the tournament had initially been a concern for Delhi Capitals. Following a demanding Ashes series, where he played all five Tests and earned Player of the Series honours, Cricket Australia managed his workload carefully before clearing him for IPL duty.

Badani admitted the franchise would ideally prefer all players available from the beginning of the season, but acknowledged that national boards ultimately control player availability.

“Starc is one of the biggest players in our squad and we invested in him because we know he is a match-winner,” Badani said. “But when governing bodies make those decisions, franchises have very little control.”

He also pointed out that similar situations affected Josh Hazlewood at Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Pat Cummins at Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier in the tournament.

With Starc now finding rhythm at a crucial stage of the season, Delhi Capitals will hope their pace spearhead can continue leading the charge in the race for the playoffs.