Virat Kohli, 36, and Rohit Sharma, 38, are active internationally only in the 50-overs format but their future beyond the three-match series is uncertain.
Starc, who is carrying niggles since the Ashes and was rested for Australia's last league match of the World Cup against Bangladesh, was seen training with teammates during Monday's optional session ahead of the Thursday's semi-final.
Bharat Arun singled out pacers Harshit Rana and Mitchell Starc for their crucial contributions in KKR's title triumph.
Steve Smith said the decision to drop Nathan Lyonwas taken to strengthen the pace-bowling department.
Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar decoded the dismissal of Rohit Sharma and identified that aggression, a forte of the veteran swashbuckler, was his undoing in the first ODI against Australia in Perth at the Optus Stadium on Sunday.
As he gears up to surpass legendary Dennis Lillee in the tally of Test wicket-takers for Australia, pacer Mitchell Starc opened up on strong words from his former head coach Tim Nielsen that paved way for his durability and said that it would be humbling to surpass the Aussie icon in wicket-taking charts.
With skipper Pat Cummins already out of the series opener because of a back injury, Australia are expected to send out Hazlewood with Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland as their pace attack.
'Four games don't make him a bad bowler'
"Bowlers were going to be a hot property," says De Villiers on Starc's historic bid
The cricketing ecosystem has learned to survive the prolonged absence of Kohli and Rohit -- at least in two formats -- in this interim period.
Australia stormed to an eight-wicket victory in the second Ashes Test on Sunday to take a 2-0 series lead as England succumbed on day four to a pace blitz from unlikely hero Michael Neser.
There were some magical moments in the field from both teams that brought fans and franchise owners to their feet.
Currently, India leads the World Test Championships table with Australia in second place.
KKR's most successful leader Gautam Gambhir is back in his second innings as a mentor. His partnership with head coach Chandrakant Pandit, a shrewd tactician in domestic circuit, will be the key to their revival.
'I was playing country cricket and working as a carpenter, and that was the dream for me.'
Pace bowling all-rounders always come at a premium and therefore, the troika of Green, Venkatesh Iyer and West Indies' Jason Holder, all coming at the highest base price of Rs 2 crore (US$220,000), are set to headline the bidding war.
IPL Auction 2026 was not just about money; it was a celebration of ambition, opportunity, and the unrelenting belief that the next big star could come from anywhere.
Pacer Mitchell Starc was adjudged player of the match for his sensational bowling up front when he claimed the scalps of Travis Head, Nitish Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed in the powerplay.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction saw some foreign names earning big bucks, headlined by Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green
Paceman Josh Hazlewood has brushed off worries about Australia's ageing attack for the Ashes, saying he personally feels as good as he has in a long time and that the unit's experience of bowling together is a major advantage for the team.
Rohit Sharma hit an unbeaten century, while Virat Kohli returned to form with a fluent fifty as India cruised to an emphatic nine-wicket victory in the inconsequential third and final ODI against Australia.
Australia captain Pat Cummins is back bowling multiple overs on a reduced run-up and has targeted returning to the team for the second Ashes Test against England, a day-nighter in Brisbane starting on December 4.
Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood feels it is possible to do the balancing act with meticulous planning and strategising.
Pat Cummins on Saturday rated himself a "half chance" to play the day-night Test against England in Brisbane from December 4.
Cameron Green is shaping up as one of the hottest picks of the upcoming auction.
Expect some fireworks for the highly-versatile Cameron Green along with Quinton de Kock, Matheesha Pathirana, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi.
Cummins, who skipped the IPL last season, was also the most expensive buy in the 2020 IPL Auction.
'If you look at their squad, with Cameron Green coming in, they have their biggest headache sorted. The middle muddle is sorted. They will have to sort out their bowling.'
All-rounder Cameron Green will miss the three-match ODI series against India due to side soreness.
Ahead of the mini-auction, scheduled to be held in Doha on December 26, the 10 franchises have released their list of retained and released players.
England have not won the Ashes in Australia after losing the first Test since the 1950s but McCullum and Stokes will remain convinced they can turn the series around, just as they did against South Africa in 2022 when they won 2-1 after losing the opener at Lord's.
Former India all-rounder and head coach Ravi Shastri reflected on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's below-par showing in the first ODI against Australia in Perth.
Australia batter Matthew Short believes his team's pacers will continue to exploit Virat Kohli's recent weakness outside off stump when India face Australia in the second ODI, in Adelaide, on Thursday.
'I wouldn't bowl to him (Gill) in England, that's for sure.'
As he made that slow walk back, Kohli turned once more to the Adelaide crowd, this time perhaps for the last time. The fans rose to their feet, acknowledging a man who has given them some of modern cricket's greatest memories.
Scott Boland will step up and uncapped Brendan Doggett is tipped for a high-stakes debut to try to shore up the loss of a combined 604 Test wickets of experience.
Shaheen's numbers continue to underline his impact.
After Sunday's defeat in Perth, the three-match series moves to Adelaide on Thursday before concluding in Sydney on Saturday.
Expect nothing less than hostility, fire and close contests as Ben Stokes' England come armed with their Bazball philosophy to try and get the better of a depleted Australia.
The grand comeback party of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma endured a quick 22-ball ending, and their lowkey outing reflected in India's seven-wicket defeat against Australia.
