Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani has described Mitchell Starc as 'one of the best role models anyone can have in sport,' crediting the Australian left-arm pacer's work ethic and mentorship as equally vital to DC's campaign as his performances on the pitch. Badani's praise followed Starc's match-turning four-wicket haul that dismantled Rajasthan Royals in the death overs, powering DC to a five-wicket win at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, 18 May.

Starc's Match-Winning Spell

Rajasthan Royals had looked well-placed at 160 for 2 after 14 overs, seemingly on course to breach 200. Starc's intervention changed everything. He had conceded 28 runs without a wicket in his first two overs, but captain Axar Patel brought him back for the 15th over and the Australian responded with a devastating spell — conceding just 12 runs while taking four wickets in his final two overs. RR ultimately fell seven runs short of 200, with only 33 runs coming off the final six overs.

Starc's key weapon was a subtle shift in pace — deploying slower balls, including deliveries with slight reverse movement, combined with pinpoint accuracy. He first removed Riyan Parag, who had struck his fastest IPL fifty, with a slower ball mistimed to long-on. Donovan Ferreira followed for a duck on the very next delivery, caught at long-on off a pace-on ball. After Ravi Singh flicked the hat-trick delivery for four, Starc trapped him lbw with another slower ball — confirmed by DRS. He then dismissed Impact Player Dasun Shanaka with a low full toss at 142 kmph from around the wicket to complete what stand as the best bowling figures by any DC bowler this season.

What Badani Said

'I think Mitch is somebody, I don't even know where to start. I think he's possibly one of the best role models anyone can have in sport. His work ethic to himself, his preparation before the game, with his own plans and his training is above par. I don't even see that with a lot of the younger boys,' Badani said at the post-match press conference.

Badani also pointed to the recent Ashes series as evidence of Starc's elite calibre. 'If you go back and see the recent Ashes series, he single-handedly won them the Ashes. There was no Pat Cummins, there was no Josh Hazlewood. That pretty much tells you what that man can do,' he added.

Starc's Influence in the Dressing Room

Beyond wickets, Badani highlighted Starc's role as a mentor to DC's younger bowlers. 'He's always talking to them, he's always trying to pass on the knowledge — how can you do reverse swing, how do I hold lengths, what do I do when a certain batter is going hard, do I look to pick wickets, do I look to try and be submissive and be defensive. There's immense conversation that Starcy brings to the table,' Badani said.

This is not the first time Starc has tilted an IPL 2026 contest against RR in DC's favour. On 1 May in Jaipur, he marked his return to the tournament with figures of 3 for 40. His impact was even more decisive in last season, where his yorkers sealed an unlikely DC victory in a Super Over in New Delhi.

Starc's Injury Absence and Franchise Constraints

Badani also lamented Starc's unavailability for a significant portion of the season due to shoulder and elbow injuries, acknowledging the limitations franchise coaches face. 'Ideally, I would want my players to be available to me from day one. Starc is probably one of my biggest players in my squad, and we've invested in him, and we know that he's a match winner,' he said.

'But if there are certain things which are above my pay grade, and then certain things that are decided by associations and governing bodies, there's very little that we can do. Because if Cricket Australia does not release him, which was also the case with Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, there's little a coach or any franchise can do about that. Hopefully we have a solution to it in the future,' Badani added.

Madhav Tiwari's Emergence

Badani reserved special praise for young seam-bowling all-rounder Madhav Tiwari, who deceived Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Shubham Dubey with slower deliveries. Tiwari had first impressed in Dharamshala, contributing with both bat and ball. 'He was somebody who liked the pressure, somebody who could bat, hit a long ball, and at the same time, somebody who could bowl through all three phases,' Badani said, noting that DC's decision to inject fresh blood had yielded a couple of good wins.

With DC gaining momentum, their ability to sustain Starc's fitness and blend emerging talent like Tiwari with experienced campaigners will be central to their playoff push.