Mitchell Starc opens up about his 'personal views' and ankle injury that sidelined him from Champions Trophy: 'IPL was a consideration, but...'

During an interview on the Willow Talk podcast, Starc mentioned several factors influencing his decision to take a break from cricket, including personal reasons and some ankle pain experienced during the Test series against Sri Lanka. With the Test final and a West Indies tour on the horizon, as well as IPL cricket in the mix, Starc emphasized the importance of prioritizing his fitness to ensure he is fully prepared for the upcoming challenges. His focus is on getting his body right, playing some cricket in the coming months, and ultimately being in top form for the Test final.

The Champions Trophy is being hosted by Pakistan but India are playing their matches in Dubai. Apart from this, one of the two semi-finals will also be played in Dubai, with India being the only side confirmed to play that fixture there. The final would also be played in Dubai if India make it. India are already through to the semi-finals while Starc's Australia are quite close to confirming a spot for themselves.

A busy season ahead for Starc

Starc will turn up for the Delhi Capitals in the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League that starts on March 22. DC's first match will be on March 24 against Lucknow Super Giants. DC's last group game is against Mumbai Indians on May 15. The final is scheduled for May 25.

After that, Starc is set to turn up for Australia in the World Test Championship Final at Lord's in which they face South Africa. Australia are the defending champions and are looking to become the first team to win the title twice. Starc played a major role in their qualification, particularly in the five-match series against India in which he took 18 wickets.

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