Australia’s World Cup player of the tournament Mitchell Starc will miss the start of the Indian Premier League with a minor knee injury. Starc captured 22 wickets in the World Cup at an astonishing average of 10.18, but a knee niggle will keep the lethal left-armer grounded for two weeks in Australia.

The injury layoff will make the 24-year-old unavailable for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening stages of the IPL.

Sold to RCB for AU$889,000 last year, Starc will join international superstars Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli in red, gold and blue.

Starc’s incredible performance in Australia’s World Cup triumph saw him assume the No.1 ranked one-day international bowler mantle for the first time in his career. 

Starc named player of the tournament Starc was also awarded a lucrative Cricket Australia contract yesterday and named in the Test tours to the West Indies and the United Kingdom for the Ashes.

The Australians competing in the IPL are set to endure a log-jammed schedule following the conclusion of the World Cup.

Australians in IPL 

Chennai Super Kings: Mike Hussey, Andrew Tye. 

Delhi Daredevils: Nathan Coulter-Nile, Gurinder Sandhu, Travis Head, Marcus Stoinis. 

Kings XI Punjab: George Bailey, Mitchell Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh. 

Kolkata Knight Riders: Chris Lynn, Pat Cummins, Brad Hogg. 

Mumbai Indians: Josh Hazlewood, Aaron Finch, Aiden Blizzard. 

Rajasthan Royals: Shane Watson, James Faulkner, Steve Smith, Kane Richardson, Ben Cutting. 

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Mitchell Starc, Nic Maddinson, Sean Abbott. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner, Moises Henriques.

Reports from Cricket Australia