3 reasons why Albie Morkel was ahead of time in the IPL

Albie Morkel was quite the maverick T20 cricketer and it reflected during his stint at the IPL, particularly when he was with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

The former South African all-rounder made a name for himself as a game-changing all-rounder and was a huge component in MS Dhoni and Co. winning back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011, apart from clinching the Champions League T20 title in South Africa in 2010.

He turned out in 91 matches in the IPL for CSK, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Delhi Daredevils (as they were called back then), and the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants. He finished with 974 runs at an average of 24.35 and a strike rate of 141.98, apart from bagging 85 wickets at an economy rate of 8.21.

He also made his presence felt in international cricket having played 58 ODIs, 50 T20Is, and a solitary Test. It has been long since he has retired but there is no denying that an all-rounder of his caliber would have been worth his weight in gold in today's era.

As Morkel turns 42 today (June 10), we assess three reasons as to why he was ahead of his time during his stint in the IPL:

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#1 He was incredibly versatile

While he was a feared finisher, Morkel could comfortably take down spin in the middle-overs too (File image).

Morkel's versatility was a big factor behind CSK being the dominant force they were in the early years of the IPL. His ability to take down any kind of bowling at the death made him a feared finisher, while he could also slide up the order seamlessly whenever required.

Two of his half-centuries in the IPL are a good example of the same. When CSK were to chase 212 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at home in 2008, Morkel came out in the ninth over and belted a 40-ball 71 that almost won them the game.

A couple of years later, he batted at No. 4 again against the same opponents at the same venue and carted a 34-ball 62.

With the ball, he often swung it in the powerplay while also being adept at bowling in the latter stages. His 19th over in the final of 2010 against Mumbai Indians (MI) saw him nail his yorkers at will and he often stood tall under pressure.

His versatility was a big factor towards the same and undoubtedly, he was ahead of time to that end.

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#2 Not too many all-rounders today offer this kind of flexibility

A glance around the current IPL rosters and you'd think Morkel in his prime would walk into most rosters. Not too many teams are blessed with seam-bowling all-rounders who offer the kind of skillset that he used to once upon a time, especially when it comes to the crunch moments.

Off the few marquee names, Ben Stokes' bowling and game against spin have been worrisome for a while, even as Andre Russell seems to be tapering off from his peak.

Sam Curran is the one pace-bowling all-rounder who perhaps fits most bills, although he too endured a tough IPL 2023 campaign for Punjab Kings (PBKS).

Had he been playing in today's era, Morkel would have been a pretty good fit for a team looking for a left-handed power-hitter who can bowl useful overs of pace.

Given the limited number of such quality all-rounders on the T20 circuit today, he would have fetched pretty big demand.

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#3 Albie Morkel defined the word impact

Morkel was not one who would score the big runs, nor was he someone who would necessarily take a cluster of wickets. Yet, when he made his presence felt, it was often at a highly critical stage that would flip the game around on its head.

When CSK needed to gun down 43 runs off two overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2012, Morkel tore into Virat Kohli and racked off 28 runs. He perished the next over but his cameo was enough to set things up for a thrilling CSK win. On the bowling front, he was often a partnership breaker and an ideal complement to the frontline pace attack.

His numbers don't really catch you by the eye. Yet, the impact he left and threatened to leave always made him an X-factor.

Morkel truly knew the way of T20 well before the format developed into a mainstream one and he was ahead of most of his contemporaries to that end.

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What is your favorite performance by Albie Morkel in the IPL? Have your say in the comments section below!

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