Mitchell Starc expressed surprise over Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) tactical choices during their Super Over clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL 2025 season. The tightly contested match ended in a dramatic Super Over at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where DC eventually triumphed.
Starc, who played a crucial role in the game’s climax, questioned the Royals’ decision to send left-handers to face him despite his favourable angle and swing against them. Starc restricted RR to just 11 runs in the Super Over, setting up DC’s successful chase. His performance left fans and experts stunned at Rahul Dravid’s call as head coach, which seemed to backfire.
Key Moments That Shifted Momentum
During RR’s run-chase, Starc was instrumental in shifting momentum back in DC’s favour. With the Royals needing 31 runs off the last 18 balls, Starc bowled a brilliant 18th over, conceding just eight runs and dismissing the well-set Nitish Rana with a pinpoint yorker.
Then, with nine runs required in the final over, Starc once again held his nerve to force a Super Over. In the tie-breaker, RR opted for Shimron Hetmyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal—both left-handers—to face Starc. This decision surprised the Australian pacer, who acknowledged that he usually struggles more against right-handers like Riyan Parag. Starc took full advantage, exploiting his natural angle to dominate the over.
Starc Reflects on the Unexpected Decision
After the match, Starc opened up about his reaction to RR’s strategy. “I was a bit surprised to see left-handers come in, especially with my angle where the ball tails back in,” he said.
While he admitted to making one error with a no-ball, he emphasized DC’s batting depth helped them chase the target down comfortably. Starc’s critical overs were vital in securing the win and propelling DC to the top of the points table with 10 points from six games.
In contrast, RR dropped to eighth place with only two wins. The match also highlighted the successful transition of captaincy from Rishabh Pant to Axar Patel for DC. Notably, Pant was released ahead of the mega-auction and picked up by LSG for ₹27 Crore, while DC secured KL Rahul as a replacement for ₹14 Crore.
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