The IPL 2024 mini-auction is set to be held in Dubai on Dec 19. Ahead of the auction proceedings, many former cricketers and experts of the game are busy making bold predictions. All eyes are on the marquee players — such as Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Starc, etc. — as it will be interesting to see which franchise will end with a formidable line-up after the mini-auction. Amid all the auction hype, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan made a bold claim. He feels Aussie pacer Mitchell Starc will return to the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2024.

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While talking to Star Sports, Irfan opined, “I really think you might see Mitchell Starc playing for RCB because he was there before. They would want him there as well because being a left-armer, bowling 140-plus, having that extra pace in those types of pitches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium will be of utmost importance for RCB.”

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It is to be noted that Starc was part of the Virat Kohli-led RCB line-up from 2014 to 2015. He was in top form for the Bengaluru-based franchise, ending with 34 scalps in two seasons. However, he has not featured in the IPL since the 2015 edition. With the T20 World Cup 2024 edition set to be held soon after next year’s IPL, starting early June in West Indies and USA, Starc is keen to get as many T20s under his belt and, hence, is set to return to the IPL this time around. It will be interesting to see if RCB manages to acquire his services once again, having already released Josh Hazlewood on the retention deadline day. 

Starc was last seen in action during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, where he ended with 16 scalps — eighth-most overall — and was part of the Cummins-led Australia’s victorious squad. 

RCB squad ahead of mini-auction

Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar (from SRH), Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green (from MI).

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