KKR's Silence on Mitchell Starc Sparks Controversy After the Pacer Reveals Being 'Ghosted'

Australia pacer Mitchell Starc, who had a significant role in Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) IPL 2024 campaign, expressed frustration over the lack of communication from the franchise after he was released ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Starc, who took 17 wickets for KKR last season, including a match-winning performance in the final, revealed on Monday that he had yet to hear from the franchise regarding his future.

“I still haven’t heard from them,” Starc said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, adding to the speculation surrounding KKR's management practices.

KKR, who retained six players for the upcoming IPL season, had released Starc, which led to his current uncertainty. Despite Starc’s crucial contribution to their title-winning campaign, including a stellar 2/14 in the final, the pacer was left in the dark after the retention list was finalized on October 31.

Interestingly, when Times of India reached out to KKR’s CEO, Venky Mysore, to confirm Starc’s statement, the communication was abruptly cut off. Mysore not only failed to respond but reportedly blocked the contact on WhatsApp, further fueling the controversy.

The situation raised questions about KKR's approach to player relations, with some reports suggesting that other players, like Shreyas Iyer, had faced similar treatment. Sources close to Iyer indicated that, as of last Friday, there had been no communication between him and the franchise regarding retention. However, a conversation was reportedly held over the weekend, just before the retention deadline.

Despite these claims, Mysore defended the franchise's stance, stating that KKR always maintains transparency and engages in discussions with all players, both retained and released. “I’ve had conversations with the six we have retained and also with the ones we couldn’t retain,” Mysore explained in an official statement. However, the ongoing silence from the franchise regarding Starc has raised eyebrows, especially given his pivotal role in their success last season.

As the IPL 2025 season approaches, KKR’s handling of player relations, particularly with key players like Starc and Iyer, will likely remain a topic of discussion. The franchise's communication strategy, or lack thereof, has certainly left a sour note for some of its former players.