Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc made an emphatic return to professional cricket after nearly three months on the sidelines, delivering a performance that instantly silenced any doubts surrounding his fitness and future.Coming back from shoulder and elbow injuries, Starc wasted no time making an impact. In his very first over, the left-arm quick struck gold, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal and pushing the Rajasthan Royals onto the back foot early. As the match progressed, the Australian quickly continued to assert his authority. In the 17th over, he removed both Ravindra Jadeja and Riyan Parag, effectively shutting down any late surge. He finished with impressive figures of 3/40, underlining his value and experience in high-pressure situations.Speaking after the match, Starc reflected on his return with a sense of relief and quiet confidence.“It’s nice to get some cobwebs out, get back to the speed of the game. I think I was good to get some running in the legs, but nice to be back around the guys, get some training in, and then obviously get the win tonight. So, yeah, nice to return. I’ve been bowling a little bit for a period of weeks, just trying to position my elbow so I can manage the movement,” Starc said during post match presentation.“I hadn’t bowled to a batter for three months until tonight. So, it’s sort of getting back to that speed pretty quickly. I was playing cricket for a while, so in terms of ticking the boxes with skills, I felt I was in a position to do most of what I wanted. Tonight was a good reminder of a few things that make the game. I think I’ll be better for the run in the legs for 20 overs, and then now I get into my portion of the tournament,” he added.Despite the long layoff, he looked far from rusty. Starc also addressed the visible strapping on his legs, which had sparked speculation about his longevity in the game. With characteristic humour, he dismissed any talk of retirement.“There’s a couple of things. I think we’d laugh if you had three things strapped on and were thinking about retirement, but I’m not quite there yet. But no, it is what it is. It’s the cricket life and the world’s life. We move on,” he concluded.
