One of the worst starts of Mitchell Starc's T20 career comes during Delhi Capitals' clash against Punjab Kings in their IPL 2026 tie in Dharamsala. The Australian pacer is known for his wicket-taking skills with the new ball, however, conceded a whooping 22 runs in his first over and that also the most expensive T20 first over in his entire career.
Delhi Capitals won the toss and decided to bowl first in match 55 of IPL 2026 in Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium. Mitchell Starc was handed the new ball to bowl against an aggressive Punjab Kings opening duo Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh.
Priyansh started with a huge six over cover point off the first ball of the innings. Though the Australian fast bowler managed to bowl a couple of dot deliveries in the innings the over went downhill for the bowler as he conceded 5 wide balls and was hammered by Prabhsimran for 6 and a boundary completing the 22 runs over.
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Punjab Kings Openers Attack Early
The Punjab Kings openers have one of the most destructive pairs in IPL 2026. In the matches that have been played so far, the pair has already scored runs at a rate of 14 runs per over. The same continued against one of the best fast bowlers in world cricket Mitchell Starc.
The reputation of Mitchell Starc in world cricket, particularly with the new ball in both international cricket and IPL has been immense as he is a match-winner for his side. The pacer's ability to strike with the new ball and dictate the tempo during the powerplay has made him a feared bowler in the T20 circuit.
However, it was not the kind of outing for the left-arm pacer in Dharamsala as the Punjab Kings batsmen cashed in on the batting-friendly pitch and attacked the bowlers right from the first ball.
Starc Registers Unwanted T20 Record
The 22-run first over is officially the most expensive Mitchell Starc has ever conceded in a T20 innings during his professional career.
Most runs conceded by Mitchell Starc in a T20 first over:
- 22 vs Punjab Kings, Dharamsala, 2026
- 15 vs Delhi Capitals, Kolkata, 2024
- 14 vs Punjab Kings, Mohali, 2015
- 14 vs New Zealand, Sydney, 2022
- 14 vs West Indies, Carrara, 2022
It is interesting that two of Mitchell Starc’s previous most expensive first over spells have also come in IPL games demonstrating how attacking batting can test even the most world-class bowlers within the league.
Mitchell Starc, who missed the early season, joined the Delhi Capitals towards the back end of the 2026 IPL and has had inconsistent form during that short spell. While he did take 3 wickets in his opening 3 games, Delhi Capitals have struggled to find form and face elimination from the playoff race.
Nevertheless, Mitchell Starc remains one of T20’s biggest match winners and will look to redeem himself over the remainder of the season.
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