Mitchell Starc retires from T20Is after 2025, focusing on Tests and the 2027 ODI World Cup. What’s next for the Aussie pace icon?
Mitchell Starc has announced his retirement from T20 internationals in September 2025. The 35-year-old confirmed that the move was made to prioritize Australia's full Test schedule from 2026 onwards, including away trips to South Africa, India, and the Ashes in 2027 as well as the ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia late that year.
"Test cricket has always been my top focus," Starc claimed, looking back on his career. He admitted to the thrill of being a member of the victorious 2021 T20 World Cup team but maintained his ultimate goal was staying fresh and potent for red-ball cricket and 50-over competition.
Starc's T20I career will be forever recalled for Australia's record-breaking ICC T20 World Cup 2021 victory. As part of the pace attack leaders, Starc provided balance, experience, and outright intimidation to the team. His capability to swing the new ball and deliver yorkers during death overs was pivotal to Australia's first title success in the shortest form of the game. The left-arm pacer's presence provided Australia with a psychological advantage over teams that tended to stumble when faced with his pace and precision under duress.
After 2021, Starc was still an ever-present in Australia's white-ball team. His T20I performances, however, started to become inconsistent. Although he still produced game-turning spells occasionally, his economy rate became a worry in flat tracks. Younger bowlers such as Jhye Richardson, Nathan Ellis, and Sean Abbott started to make their claims, making positions competitive. However, every time Australia looked to experience, Starc's name headed the list. His record of performing under pressure, particularly in ICC events, kept him on the radar even during fluctuations in form.
Chair of selectors George Bailey admitted replacing Starc’s unique skill set will be difficult. “I’m not sure we’re going to find someone swinging the new ball at 145kph an hour,” Bailey said. While Nathan Ellis, Ben Dwarshuis, Sean Abbott, and Xavier Bartlett have all shown promise, the selectors may need to redefine roles rather than find a like-for-like replacement. Starc’s pace and ability to nail yorkers at crucial moments had long been Australia’s safety net.
Even after walking away six months prior to the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, Starc leaves with 79 T20I wickets in 65 games, the second-most for Australia in the format. Career-best figures of 4 for 20 against West Indies in 2022 summarize his menace with both swing and unadulterated speed. Apart from statistics, Starc will be remembered as a bowler who had the ability to shift games in Australia's direction in a matter of moments.
From the elation of 2021 to his departure in 2025, Mitchell Starc's T20I journey was a tale of power, pressure, and influence. As Australia looks to new faces to mold their destiny in the shortest format, Starc's choice to move aside means he will be as fit as ever to continue serving Australia's Test supremacy and a chance to retain the ODI title in 2027. His name, already written in white-ball legend, will only sound sweeter as one of Australia's greatest fast bowlers.
