Mitchell Starc sues insurer over injury payout for IPL 2018 contract

Starc, who didn't figure in any game for KKR last year, has filed a lawsuit in the Victorian County Court last week against the insurers of his lucrative IPL deal

Ace Australia pacer Mitchell Starc has decided to take legal action against his insurer in order to claim USD 1.53 million that he lost after failing to turn out for his franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in last season. Starc was one of the most sought-after Australian players at the 2018 IPL auction when KKR snapped him up for USD 1.8 million, a price tag which was bettered only by hard-hitting Chris Lynn, who went for USD 1.86 million. However, the left-arm speedster didn't turn up in the world's richest T20 tournament last year as he sustained a calf injury in the Test series against South Africa, which was marred by the infamous ball-tampering incident involving Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. According to a report in the 'Sydney Morning Herald', Starc has filed a lawsuit in the Victorian County Court last week against the insurers of his lucrative IPL deal. The report further stated that Starc took out a policy that would pay him USD 1.53 million benefits if he missed the IPL season because of injury. Starc, who is represented by Mills Oakley lawyers, has sued a syndicate of Lloyd's of London, the long-running insurance market where coverage can be bought for unique circumstances that traditional insurers don't offer. According to court documents assessed by the 'Sydney Morning Herald', Starc paid a premium of USD 97,920 to be covered between February 27 and March 31 in 2018. But on March 10, Starc claimed he started feeling pain in his right calf while bowling during the second Test in Port Elizabeth. The bowler further claimed that the injury was a result of bowling on uneven footmarks on a worn pitch.