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All-rounder Chris Morris became the costliest player in IPL history as he was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals for INR 16.25 crore today.
However, Gautam Gambhir raised question marks over his price tag and said the South African doesn't have that X-Factor anymore.
The Rajasthan Royals faced a fierce battle to sign Chris Morris from Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings.
The 33-year-old had his base price set at 75 lakhs. The Royals finally got their man for 16.25 crore - the highest bid in IPL history.
Speaking on Star Sports, Gautam Gambhir raised question marks over Rajasthan Royal's choice saying:
"First, he needs to play 14 games. He is working to play 14 games. At that price, you would want to play the entire tournament.16.25 crore for someone who has hardly played any competitive cricket? He hasn't played any cricket of any sort, so what kind of a rhythm he comes with? Very strange. I never thought he would go for that much money because he doesn't play international cricket." Gambhir said.
Glenn Maxwell has once again emerged as another top buy, with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) picking him up for INR 14.25 crore. Gambhir feels Maxwell has that X-factor, but Chris Morris doesn't.
'I can understand Glenn Maxwell's point of view because he recently did well against India. Chris Morris, I don't know whether he is an X-Factor player. Yes, he bowls and bats a little bit at no. 7 /8. He still does not have that X-Factor probably a team would probably be looking for. He can fill in the gap and be a good backup for someone like Ben Stokes. But 16.25 crore? Now there will be a lot of pressure on him to deliver," added Gambhir.
Yuvraj Singh held the previous record of securing the highest bid. The Indian all-rounder was picked up by Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capital) for INR 16 crore in 2015.
Chris Morris' IPL career at a glance
The South African is an experienced campaigner in the IPL, having played 70 games in his career. However, he has played more than nine games only three times in seven seasons.
Injuries have often been his Achilles Heel, and he missed the early part of last season for RCB.
In 70 IPL games, Morris has picked up 80 wickets at an average of 23.98, while his economy is 7.81. With the bat, the South African averages 23.9 and has an impressive strike rate of 157.87.
Playing for RCB last season, Morris didn't have the best time with the bat, scoring just 34 runs in nine games. With the ball, the all-rounder made a decent impact, picking up 11 wickets and bowling with an impressive economy of 6.63.
You can follow all the live updates from the IPL auction here
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