Mitchell Starc retires from T20Is, choosing to focus on Tests and ODIs. A major decision shaping his role in Australia’s future cricket plans.
Just six months before the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, Australia’s veteran left-arm pacer, Mitchell Starc, announced his T20I retirement. He aims to prioritise their heavy Test schedule late next year and the upcoming ODI World Cup 2027. After all, the experienced campaigner is slowly progressing to the fag end of his career.
From mid-2026, Australia will face a busy schedule in the longest format. After their home red-ball series against Bangladesh, they will travel to South Africa. Back home, they will host New Zealand for a four-match Test series, followed by the five away Tests against India in January, 2027.
They will also participate in the one-off 150th anniversary match against England at the MCG in March 2027. Three months from that point, they will have an away Ashes, followed by the 50-over World Cup in October and November, 2027.
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Mitchell Starc’s T20I retirement shows his commitment to Test cricket
Starc has played 65 T20Is since making his debut in 2012 and was part of the T20 World Cup-winning side in 2021 in the UAE. The New South Wales fast bowler finished as Australia’s second most successful bowler in the shortest format. He picked up 79 wickets in 65 innings at an average of 23.81 and a strike rate of 18.45. His economy rate of 7.74 is gold in this modern era.
Starc’s last T20I was against India in St. Lucia during the T20 World Cup 2024. The veteran is excited for the upcoming Test trip to India and the 50-over World Cup two years later.
“Looking ahead to an away Indian Test tour, the Ashes and an ODI World Cup in 2027, I feel this is my best way forward to remain fresh, fit and at my best for those campaigns. It also gives the bowling group time to prepare for the T20 World Cup in the matches leading into that tournament.” The Sydney-born expressed in a statement.
Since the start of 2020, Starc is Australia’s fourth-highest T20I wicket-taker. He picked up 40 wickets in 37 innings at an average of 29.07 and an economy rate of 8.52. Since the start of 2022, Australia have won 13 of the 17 T20Is involving Starc and faced only three defeats.
“I’m not sure we’re going to find someone swinging the new ball at 145kph an hour. So it might not necessarily be a like-for-like replacement. Traditionally, he’s taken the new ball and been able to bowl some clutch overs at the death at the right time.” The chairman of selectors for Australia, George Bailey, expressed.
Bailey reckoned that ‘Nathan Ellis would become a really integral member of that T20 side’ as they had ‘some really good stuff from Ben Dwarshuis in particular. Sean Abbott and Xavier Bartlett have also had opportunities there as well.’
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Australia to miss Mitchell Starc in T20 World Cup 2026
Mitchell Starc didn’t play eight seasons of the IPL from 2016 to keep him fresh for the longest format. That’s a great commitment towards the red-ball format in this modern era, with the huge number of T20 leagues. But Australia will feel his absence in the next T20 World Cup.
Starc’s capability of picking wickets in the power play has been exceptional. Moreover, he can also fox the batters with change of pace and variations in the death overs.
In 2021, during a T20I game against West Indies in St Lucia, he was given the job of defending 11 runs in the final six deliveries. And he was up against Andre Russell and Fabian Allen. The third and fourth balls came at a speed of 147 kmph and 148 kmph, respectively, as the batters had no clue of freeing their arms. Australia went on to record a four-run victory.
Starc is the third leading wicket-taker in Tests since the beginning of 2022. He has picked up 133 wickets in 69 innings at an average of 26.74 and a strike rate of 44.4. His role in the upcoming home Ashes 2025/26 will be massive. It will only increase if their red-ball captain, Pat Cummins, doesn’t find full fitness from the back issue.
Reflecting on his words, it’s confirmed that he has the desire to continue playing till the end of 2027. Perhaps a successful defense of their 50-over World Cup could bring the curtains down on his career.
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