Delhi Capitals bowling coach Munaf Patel has confirmed that left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc is available for selection for their IPL 2026 match against Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Friday.
Starc had been recovering from shoulder and elbow injuries and only rejoined the squad a few days ago. Now, he is ready to return to action and could play his first competitive match since January. His return is expected to strengthen Delhi Capitals’ bowling attack, which has not performed consistently this season.
“He is available from tomorrow. Our best bowler will definitely play, but the final decision will be taken tomorrow. His coming back definitely helps. Fast bowlers who may have struggled in the powerplay will get more support,” Patel said in the pre-match press conference.
Patel also spoke about how important bowlers are in the T20 format, saying they play a key role in winning tournaments.
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“I always say this: a match can be won by batters, but a tournament is won by bowlers. Because if you see, even yesterday, around 250 runs were scored. So obviously, if bowlers bowl well, you can win the tournament. Batters can win you a game, but if you don’t bowl well, you cannot win a tournament. That is something I strongly believe in.”
Talking about recent performances, including the match where Delhi Capitals were bowled out for just 75 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Patel dismissed the idea that the batters were nervous while facing bowlers like Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
“No, we were not nervous. We were playing with a different approach. We wanted to score more runs, but the wicket was doing a bit. They bowled well and took good catches. It is not like if you lose one game, you become nervous in the next game. That is not cricket.”
On how the team plans to handle must-win situations, Patel said the players need to give their full effort.
“In do-or-die situations, the approach has to be 100 per cent. Because you know that if you lose one or two games, you are out of the tournament. So as a unit, you have to give your 100 per cent. Otherwise, it becomes very difficult to survive.”
He added that the team will stick to its usual approach and focus on playing good cricket rather than worrying too much about the result.
“Our approach will remain the same. We will give our 100 per cent and focus on playing good cricket. Whether we bat first or bowl first, the idea is to control the game and minimise mistakes. We will play to win and not think too much about the result.”
When asked about plans against Rajasthan Royals’ strong batting line-up, Patel chose not to share too much.
“If I tell you the strategy now, they will be ready tomorrow. So I cannot tell you the strategy. We will focus on bowling well and executing our plans, but I cannot reveal anything here.”
He also made it clear that the team is unlikely to make many changes to the playing eleven.
“There won’t be too many changes. We have experienced and performing players in the squad. Unless there is an injury, I don’t think there will be many changes. It is not like you lose and then you start changing everything.”