Akash Chopra Concerns raised about Cricket Australia delaying decision Mitchell StarkIPL 2026 availability questions the logic behind resting a fully fit player.Starc is expected to spearhead Delhi Capitals’ bowling attack and although he has not played any cricket for almost two months, he is likely to miss the initial fixtures due to workload management.In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra expressed his confusion over the move, especially to other Australian fast players such as Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins Already out due to injury.“If Mitchell Starc wasn’t coming in the first place, then what is Cricket Australia doing? You didn’t get Josh Hazlewood to come, Pat Cummins didn’t come, and now you’ve stopped Mitchell Starc even though he was absolutely fit. He has said goodbye to the T20Is. So what has he been doing in the last two months or so?” he said.Chopra pointed out that Starc had not played a match since the 2025-26 Ashes and questioned the need to retain him so early for the upcoming five-Test series against India.“He has not played any cricket after the Ashes but despite this, you ask him to rest because a big Test season is coming with five Test matches against India. That is before the next IPL. Why are you doing this now?” he observed.The former India batsman also said that if players start missing IPL matches while fit, teams may need to reconsider their stance soon, just as a precaution.Chopra also talked about Rocky FergusonAccording to reports, he will miss the start of IPL 2026 to spend time with his family.“I’m thinking about Rocky Ferguson and that’s a serious question. I don’t know if he’s injured but from what I’ve read he won’t be able to play seven games. He said he wanted to spend some time with his family,” he said.Ferguson, who will represent Kings XI Punjab after being drafted for Rs 2 crore, is likely to miss a huge part of the game and Chopra feels the team needs to take this seriously.“He was sold at the base price. He was bought for Rs 2 crore. He is playing for New Zealand. Then he will go home and spend time with his family. It is not a bad thing. Don’t judge anyone, but if you withdraw from seven games of the IPL after making a commitment just for that reason, then the team will have to realize that it is not right,” Chopra observed.Chopra added that more and more players are choosing to participate partially while earning a proportional payout, though he clarified that he was not accusing anyone of doing this intentionally.
