'Was click of the button away but...': Mitchell Starc explains why he opted out of IPL auction

During his two-year stint with the RCB, Starc picked 34 wickets in 27 matches at an economy rate of 7.16 and a strike rate of 17.

Despite hinting towards a return to the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the first time since the 2015, Australian pace sensation Mitchell Starc has opted out of the mega auction ahead of the 2022 season.

Mitchell Starc (Twitter)

Speaking on his decision to not enter the auction, Starc explained that he needed to stay away from bio-bubble for a while to get his body refreshed for Australia's next international assignment.

"I was a click of the button away from entering the auctions but personally didn't want to spend 22 more weeks in a bubble, needed some time to refresh the body, and for me, that's prioritizing Aussie games," Star was quoted as saying by EspnCricinfo.

Starc, who played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2014 and 2015, added that while he would love to return to the tournament, he needs to spend more time with his family.

"There'll be a time where I'd love to go back to the IPL but in terms of wanting to play as much as I can for Australia, a multi-format player as well, that's a decision I've taken and that gives me an opportunity to spend time with Alyssa and family in those eight weeks outside of a cricket bubble," he added.

During his two-year stint with the RCB, Starc picked 34 wickets in 27 matches at an economy rate of 7.16 and a strike rate of 17.

Starc was recently part of the Ashes series and will next be part of the three-match ODI series and one-off T20I against New Zealand at home, followed by a five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka in February. Later that month, the Test team will also be up against Pakistan in a three-match contest followed by a limited-overs series which will continue till April 5.