IPL 2021: Chris Morris Justified The Expectations Around Him, Showed Why The Franchise Has Put Faith In Him - Daniel Vettori

Former New Zealand captain, Daniel Vettori opines that Chris Morris has justified the heavy price tag of INR 16.25 crore for which the Rajasthan Royals bought him in the February auction. Vettori’s comments come after Chris Morris’ brilliant all-round show, especially his late power-hitting, against the Delhi Capitals which resulted in the Royals’ first win of the season.

The South African came into bat at number 8, for the score of 90/6. An over later he lost David Miller; Chris Morris then conjured a match-winning partnership with tailender Jaydev Unadkat. Chris Morris hit 4 sixes, out of 7 total in Royals’ innings, in his 18-ball 36 blinder. The last 10 balls, off Kagiso Rabada and Tom Curran, the right-hander took 29 runs to complete the chase.

“I think sometimes we confuse the auction price with 100s and five-wicket bags because someone like Chris Morris has been bought for an innings like this. He has been bought to bowl at the death and take wickets with the new ball,” Daniel Vettori told ESPNcricinfo.

“I think this justifies the expectations around him in terms of being able to close out games in a really tense situation. Thirty odd off 17 balls (36* off 18) in this pressure when there is really nobody else batting with him justifies in a lot of ways the faith that many franchises have had in him,” the former RCB coach added.

That’s exactly why Rajasthan Royals bought Chris Morris: Irfan Pathan

Former India all-rounder, Irfan Pathan echoes Vettori’s thoughts. He says that the Royals roped in the Protea all-rounder for a heavy price for specific reasons: They needed a pacer to support Jofra Archer as last year the Royals’ bowling was a one-man attack; secondly, they wanted a power-hitter in the death overs, where also the side struggled to close out innings.

Chris Morris was brilliant last year with the ball, while playing for RCB, both in the powerplay and in the death; and as he showed on Thursday, he can hit those lusty blows. Hence, Pathan believes that Morris’ big price tag is explicable, and he justified the same on Thursday.

“He (Morris) took the responsibility and showed that the money (paid for him) at the auction was worth it. That’s exactly why Rajasthan Royals bought him. Not only for his bowling with the new ball and at the death, but also to finish games for them with the bat,” Irfan Pathan said.

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