KXIP dealt with another blow as Marcus Stoinis pulls out

Things could not get any worse for the Kings XI Punjab as Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis pulled out of the tournament as reported by Cricbuzz. Reports suggest that Stoinis pulled out due to ‘personal unavoidable circumstances‘. He has become the third Australian casualty for the Kings XI Punjab and has followed in the footsteps of his compatriots Shaun Marsh and Glenn Maxwell. The latter also pulled out recently courtesy of a side strain.

The Kings XI conceded their playoffs spot and soon fell out of reckoning following losses at the hands of the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Despite this, the 26-year old will be heavily missed as the balance of the side hangs on a knife-edge once again. The 26-year old had scored 146 runs from five innings at a healthy strike rate of 135.18.

Moreover, he has also underlined his credentials with the ball as he picked up 8 wickets in the tournament with an economy rate at 8.43. He also opened the batting against the Delhi Daredevils, smashing a wonderful half-century. His spell towards the death against the Mumbai Indians saw him pick 4 wickets and concede just the 15 runs as the Kings clinched victory in both these encounters. He was subsequently named as the man of the match for these two fixtures.

The overseas firepower the Kings XI have at the moment includes Hashim Amla, Mitchell Johnson, Farhaan Behardien, David Miller and Kyle Abbott. It is highly anticipated that Stoinis will be replaced by South African all-rounder Farhaan Behardien. It is also highly expected that Mitchell Johnson also finds his way back into the side.

Meanwhile, Kings XI travel to Bengaluru to take on the Royal Challengers before finishing their season against Rising Pune Supergiants in Vizag. They are currently fighting to avoid the last place finish and need to win at least one of those matches to do so.