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IPL 2021: Chennai Super Kings should bid for Chris Morris in auction, reunite with South Africa all-rounder

IPL 2021: Chennai Super Kings should bid for Chris Morris in the auction on February 18 and reunite with the South Africa all-rounder for he has been part of the franchise in the past.

IPL 2021: Chennai Super Kings should bid for Chris Morris in auction, reunite with South Africa all-rounder

Chennai, Jan 29: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) parted ways with all-rounder Chris Morris ahead of the IPL 2021 Auctions. The decision to not retain the South Africa cricketer and it didn't come as a surprise as he failed to live up to the expectations.

Morris was acquired by RCB in the last auction for a whopping Rs 10 crore but an injury curtailed his appearances for the Bangalore-base franchise to nine matches.

While the South African all-rounder could not offer much with the bat, he was the second-highest wicket-taker for Bengaluru with 11 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.63.

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While Morris still can be bought back by RCB for a lesser price by using the Right To Match (RTM) card in the auction, some other teams too could be interested in him.

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The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) - who finished at the bottom half of the points table last season - might bid for the Protea to get a proper three-dimensional player for the season as they seek redemption after hitting the rock bottom in the Indian Premier League 2020.

Which team should bid for Morris in IPL 2021 Auction?

Which team should bid for Morris in IPL 2021 Auction?

Chris Morris could very well fit into Chennai Super Kings' set-up and the Chennai-based franchise would be pretty happy to get the services of the senior-pro for this edition.

Morris has a good T20 and international experience and had a decent run for the RCB in IPL 2020.

However, he couldn't justify the big price tag and that was the reason why he was offloaded by the Bangalore-based franchise.

Why Morris could be a nice addition to CSK set-up?

Why Morris could be a nice addition to CSK set-up?

Chennai Super Kings require just one overseas player into their squad after former Australia cricketer Shane Watson retired from all formats of cricket. Watson was one of the best buys for the CSK after the purchased the all-rounder ahead of IPL 2018.

Watson proved to be a smart buy for the MS Dhoni-led side as he played a crucial role in helping CSK win that edition. Although he didn't bowl but offered his services as a batsman and was one of the standout performers of the 2018 edition.

Later in 2019, he almost single-handedly ended up winning CSK another title in 2019, which the defending champions lost by just 1 run to Mumbai Indians in the final.

In IPL 2020, which was held in the UAE, CSK missed a big-hitting all-rounder who could chip in with some vital runs in the middle-order and help the team with a crucial few overs as well. Dwayne Bravo is still a part of the franchise but the veteran cricketer's fitness could be a concern for the team management. In such a case, Morris could very well become an option for captain MS Dhoni.

Morris' decent performance last year, with the ball, would also ease the skipper's tension for the Protea can play either with Sam Curran or Josh Hazlewood in the side.

Morris will also bring in a lot of international experience to the CSK squad as most of their big players are either retired from international format or approaching the dusk of their international career.

Past association with MS Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming

Past association with MS Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming

Morris is no alien to Chennai Super Kings' captain MS Dhoni or coach Stephen Fleming for he made his IPL debut in the yellow jersey. The fast-bowling all-rounder was associated with the duo in the IPL 2013 season and the way Dhoni used him made other franchises take notice of his all-round exploits.

Morris - who was 25 when he made his IPL debut for the CSK - finished with figures of two for 27 on his debut against Kings XI Punjab.

Morris - who made his T20I debut for South Africa in 2012 - went on playing several matches that season in the yellow jersey and established himself as one of the bankable players in the league which helped him fetch big bucks at the auction table.

CSK need another 3D-player of Morris' calibre

CSK need another 3D-player of Morris' calibre

CSK would benefit from his wicket-taking ability and captain like MS Dhoni could just reignite the confidence in him to play a couple of blinder of innings.

Morris - like several other South African players in the past - has done reasonably well in the past for the CSK and that could be one of the reasons why coach Fleming might be inclined to bid for him in the auction. He could also improve CSK's fielding standards for the tall South African is a natural athlete like compatriot Faf du Plessis - who is one of the best fielders in the CSK side.

Dhoni would love to have some like Morris in the deep to take some spectacular catches and save those crucial runs near the boundary ropes.

Story first published: Friday, January 29, 2021, 18:56 [IST]
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