In what has been a shocking move, Royal Challengers Bangalore have released ace all-rounder Chris Morris ahead of IPL 2021 auction. The all-rounder from the Proteas might fetch a big sum as a couple of franchises might show interest in him when the franchisees meet to build their teams for the big tournament.
Meanwhile, letting go of Morris came as a surprise to many including former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir. The tall and lanky cricketer was one of their best bowlers, who picked 11 wickets from nine matches at a decent economy rate.
“Chris Morris had one bad season, you had shown so much of trust on him, and if you see, he did not have that bad a season. No doubt, he was unfit in the beginning of the season, but when he played, he bowled really well,” Gambhir had said after Bangalore released their retention list of players.
However, Mike Hesson contemplated that Chris Morris was not in his particular best struggling with injuries. Incidentally, Royal Challengers Bangalore had invested a heavy sum for the all-rounder; however, they missed his service during the initial part of IPL 2020. Although he returned to action but has not looked in the best of forms.
“As a 10 crore signing, Morris was a big part of our resource. But he had some injuries and missed quite a lot of cricket. Morris hasn’t played high-level cricket since then, so there is some risk there,” Mike Hesson said.
Meanwhile, after getting released by the Royal Challengers, Chris Morris will now turn up in the auction which is expected to take place during the third week of February. A couple of teams will be interested in roping the dashing all-rounder, who has the ability to turn the tables single-handedly.
A well-crafted batsman, who bowls at a decent pace and is electrifying in the field, Morris will undoubtedly light up the auction room when the auctioneer brings his name out of the hat. On that note, let us take a look at the 3 teams who can show interest in Chris Morris.
3 teams who might buy Chris Morris in IPL 2021 auction:
1. Kings XI Punjab:
The KL Rahul-led side struggled in IPL 2020 due to their weak links in their bowling unit. They had heavily invested in West Indies fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell, who was far from his particular best. Along with this, Glenn Maxwell being in off-colours also hurt them badly as they failed to progress through to the qualifiers.
The franchise, who has retained their head coach for the first time in five years – Anil Kumble, will look for an all-rounder in the side, who can do the job for them with both bat and ball. And Chris Morris fits the job role perfectly. With tons of experience under his belt of playing in India and abroad in various T20 leagues, Morris can be the perfect recipe for the Kings XI to take their game to the next level.
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Having left a couple of players ahead of the auction, the Kumble-led think tank will undoubtedly have their eyes glued when Morris’ name comes out of the hat.
2. Chennai Super Kings
The MS Dhoni-led side had the worst outing in the UAE as they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first in the history of IPL after finishing seventh. The squad consisted of a number of veteran cricketers, who copped severe criticisms for failing to deliver the goods and also struggled to bring in the energy.
As a result, the management will have a lot of work to do to revamp this side. Meanwhile, with Dwayne Bravo approaching his dawn, the Super Kings will be desperate to have a proper all-rounder in their ranks, who can win them matches on any given day.
Chris Morris perfectly fits the bill and has done this multiple times in the past. The Stephen Fleming-coached side will look to have some depth in their batting and the South African coming in at No.8 will be a perfect fit in the puzzle.
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3. Royal Challengers Bangalore
Despite leaving him before the auctions, Bangalore will have their eyes on the dynamic all-rounder and will try to pick him at a cheaper price. Incidentally, the Royal Challengers has bought him before the last season for a whopping ₹10 crore.
The all-rounder didn’t live up to the expectations and was left out by the franchise. However, the management will look to rope in at a cheaper price because Bangalore will want depth in their batting and Chris Morris fits the plan perfectly.
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After failing two steps short of winning the trophy, Royal Challengers Bangalore will be desperate to end their barren run in the competition. After releasing Morris and Moeen Ali, they will require an experienced all-rounder and want to have the former RCB player at a lower cost.