Proteas all-rounder Chris Morris admits that his staggering IPL price tag will mean little once he takes the field for the Rajasthan Royals in the 2021 edition of the competition, writes ANDRE HUISAMEN.
Morris was bought for a whopping R32.8 million during February’s IPL auction, making him the most expensive player in the history of the T20 showpiece.
The 33-year-old hasn’t played international cricket for the Proteas since the 2019 Cricket World Cup, but is set to play an important role with the Royals, who he once played for back in 2015.
Speaking exclusively to SA Cricket magazine on Tuesday, Morris admitted that it took him some time to wrap his head around his Royals figure.
READ: Morris becomes most expensive player in IPL history
‘I would be lying if I said there wasn’t added pressure. It took a bit of time to process it,’ he explained.
‘I wasn’t expecting to go for a lot of money. In cricket, and in the IPL, there is always going to be pressure no matter what your price tag is. You can be paid the minimum and you can be paid the most, but you’re still going to be expected to perform and expected to do what you can to win a game of cricket.
‘Soon as you walk on to the field that price tag goes out the window, because you are all equal and that’s the nature of the beast, that’s the way sport is. I’m quite fortunate that the IPL has been very good to me over the last couple of years, so the price tag has always been the thing on the top of my head.
‘I’m under no illusions that I’m being paid to do a job but, at the end of the day, I don’t make the decisions in terms of pricing. I’m just a happy man to be part of it [IPL] again.’
Morris will feature alongside England stars Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, while Jofra Archer, who has been ruled out for the start of the IPL, is expected to join up with the Royals for the second half of the campaign.
Having been part of the Royals family in the past, Morris is relishing the opportunity to play for Rajasthan again, admitting that at one point he was quite unsure about his IPL future.
‘I had such a good time in 2015. It was one of my most enjoyable seasons I’ve had in the IPL. I had a good time, I got to know the staff, the owners really well. Just had a really good time on and off the field.
‘There were stages in my head where I had doubts that I was going to get picked up again. To be part of the IPL again is pretty special and I’m very blessed to be here,’ he added.
Photo: Vipin Pawar/IPLSportzpics
