Mitchell Starc not returning to India for IPL, Josh Inglis yet to make his decision

Australian pace bowler Mitchell Starc has told the Delhi Capitals he won’t be returning to the IPL, in what is believed to be a $400,000 sacrifice.

His decision comes as West Australian star Josh Inglis is still yet to decide whether or not he will return to India for the hasty resumption of the IPL, just two days out from his team’s next match.

The Nightly understands as of Friday, Inglis was still weighing up whether or not to head back to the country after rising military tensions caused the league to be postponed.

The world’s richest cricket tournament was paused last Friday, but a ceasefire means organiser have rushed to get it underway again, starting on Saturday evening.

Inglis — who has a young family in Perth — is almost certain to miss Punjab Kings’ clash with Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Sunday night.

Players have been put in a difficult situation by their franchises, who are desperate for them to return, and would sacrifice a significant payday by staying at home. That’s despite the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs urging tourists to take a high level of caution.

The three-format international is also in Australia’s squad for the World Test Championship and would fly straight from India to Scotland for a pre-tour camp before the final against South Africa, if he was to return.

Many of Australia’s cricketers involved in the league are still considering their options as they weigh up security concerns and family circumstances.

Test captain Pat Cummins is expected to return to Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he is also the skipper, and it is likely Travis Head heads there with him, despite the franchise being out of the playoff race.

Inglis’ Kings — coached by Ricky Ponting — and Starc’s Delhi Capitals are both still in playoff contention.

Josh Hazlewood, who is managing a shoulder niggle, is reportedly poised to return to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, despite early expectations he would rest at home.

Starc is now set to join fellow Test squad members in Brisbane to prepare for the one-off Test final against South Africa at Lord’s.

Inglis and Starc were both evacuated from Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala amid drone activity as the threat of action from Pakistan grew last week.

The match between their two sides has been rescheduled and moved to Jaipur, with the end of the tournament set to be played in the south of India.

Starc’s wife — Australian women’s captain Alyssa Healy — detailed the horror scenes they faced during the city-wide blackout in Dharamsala.

“It was a surreal experience. All of a sudden a couple of the light towers went out and we were just sitting there up the top waiting… we’re a large group of family and extra support staff and the next minute the guy who wrangles the group of us and gets us on the bus came up and his face was white,” Healy said on The Willow Talk Podcast.

Cricket Australia said this week there would be no “material impact” on the team’s preparations for the Test with South Africa from June 11, if players returned to the IPL.

“I think each player will have experienced it differently,” high performance boss Ben Oliver said.

“No doubt it was an extreme situation, and we feel it’s really appropriate to support their individual experience and their individual decision as they work through that over the coming days.”

The tournament’s final is scheduled for June 3, eight days before the Test starts. South African players are set to remain for the length of the tournament.

Australian Mitch Owen has remained with Punjab Kings and West Aussie Tim David has returned to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Punjab’s Australian coaching trio of Ponting and assistants Brad Haddin and James Hopes have also stayed in India.