IPL 2019: Marcus Stoinis joins RCB camp after Pakistan series

Yet another season is fast turning out to be a forgettable one for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). All the pre-season talks of them being one of the strongest teams in the competition have taken the back seat just a week after the start of the twelfth edition of the IPL. The Virat Kohli-led side has started the competition in the worst possible way, losing all of their first three games.

The three-time finalists are languishing at the bottom of the table with a net run-rate of more than -2. In the three games of the season so far, their bowlers have failed to perform in all the games so far while the batsmen have not done well either. In the season opener, they were all out for just 70 against defending champions Chennai Super Kings. The Bangalore-based outfit did well against Mumbai Indians but eventually lost the game by six runs while chasing 181.

Sunrisers Hyderabad then piled more misery on them by blanking them by 118 runs on Sunday. Riding on centuries from David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, the Sunrisers piled up a mammoth 231 for 2 before bowling out Royal Challengers for a paltry 113.

The Royal Challengers are now in desperate need of a win and have received a timely boost. Their Australia recruit Marcus Stoinis is all set to join the side. The allrounder recently played in the five-match ODI series against Pakistan in UAE which ended on Sunday. Stoinis’ arrival will provide the much-needed solidarity to Royal Challengers’ middle-order and the bowling department.

Stoinis himself took to Instagram to post a status with the caption, “let’s go @royalchallengersbangalore.” The RCB will next play against the Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday. The Royals have also lost their opening three games.

Kohli eyes Royals game for a turnaround

Following the loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad, skipper Virat Kohli said that the team will have to bring its A game when it takes on Royals in Jaipur.  He said that it is high time the team starts winning games and the match against Royals should be the beginning.

“We just need our players to put up a better challenge up front. There are still 11 games to go. The pitch will be nice in Jaipur against the Royals. We need to bring our A-game, like we did against Mumbai and play with that kind of intensity. If we go through the motions, we need to do the regular basic stuff, and get results our way and start winning games in the tournament – the next game should be that game for us,” Kohli said.

Here’s RCB squad for the IPL 2019:

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