IPL 2019: Major setback for RCB as Dale Steyn ruled out due to injury
What's the story?
Dale Steyn has been ruled out of the remainder of the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) season due to an inflammation in his shoulder.
In case you don't know…
The South African fast bowler joined Royal Challengers Bangalore squad as a replacement for Nathan Coulter-Nile only last week. He had returned to the franchise after nine long years and seemed to be excited, being back with RCB after such a long time.
The heart of the matter
Dale Steyn managed to play merely two games this season, but his impact could be felt from the word go, as he handed impetus to the team. As a result, RCB won both games he was a part of. His return was a massive boost for the franchise and captain Virat Kohli was full of praise for him.
Holding up a side-by-side comparison picture of the duo in 2010 and present day, Kohli joked that Steyn looked the same today as he did in back then, and said,
I want everyone to look at this. Me and Dale Steyn on the left in 2010 and me and Dale Steyn in 2019. Dale Steyn looks the same as you can see on the left, it is a different human being and on the right is a different one.
Kohli said that it also felt amazing to celebrate the team's victories with him after 10 years.
Feels amazing to be able to celebrate with this man after 10 years. We would have never thought that after parting ways in 2010, we would be doing the same thing in Chinnaswamy all over again.
Steyn went unsold during the auctions held this year and returned to the IPL after a gap of four years. But the legendary fast bowler made an impact as soon as he was back in the league.
He took two wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens and bowled a sensational spell against Chennai Super Kings, removing Watson and Raina off consecutive balls. His spell then helped them beat the mighty CSK. However, he sat out the home game against Kings XI Punjab, which RCB went on to win. The last victory yesterday helped the team finally climb the table to the seventh spot, overtaking Rajasthan Royals.
However, the joy was short lived with the news of Steyn missing the rest of the season breaking today.
What's next?
RCB need to win all their remaining games to stay in contention for the play-offs and Steyn's return had been working well for them. Now, they will need to play the rest of the games with a depleted force, especially with important players like Moeen Ali and Marcus Stoinis leaving for national duty.
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