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South African all-rounder Chris Morris has sent the entire cricket world into a swirl by becoming the most expensive overseas player in IPL history.
Sanju Samson's Rajasthan Royals have roped the 33-year-old in at a jaw-dropping INR 16.25 crore - also the costliest for a player in the IPL Auctions.
He will now join Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer to make the Jaipur-based franchise one of the most feared all-round sides in IPL 2021.
The ferocious bidding war involved four sides - the Mumbai Indians, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the Punjab Kings and the Rajasthan Royals.
The Royals were the last contenders to join and kept at it until they had booked a million-dollar flight for Morris to the Pink City.
Interestingly, RCB bought Chris Morris for a whopping INR 10 crore last year but had released him before this edition's auction. They apparently wanted him back for a lower price but had to bail out when the price reached INR 9.75 crore.
Many on Twitter found this strategy by the Bangalore-based franchise perplexing and retorted with some rib-tickling memes. On the other hand, RR fans were overjoyed. Following are the best of the reactions.
Twitter reacts to Chris Morris's getting sold for INR 16.25 crore in IPL 2021 auction
Chris Morris' record in the IPL
Chris Morris's nine-match showing in the UAE last season has impressed the franchises. He picked up 11 wickets from these games at an average of 19.08, an economy rate of 6.63, and a strike rate of 17.27.
Morris also scored 34 runs at a strike rate of over 160 in IPL 2020.
Overall, Chris Morris's figures are one of the best in the IPL for all-rounders. His batting strike rate of 157.87 makes him a daunting lower-order option, while his IPL career economy rate of 7.81 (70 matches) puts him in good stead for death overs bowling.
He could provide much-needed support for Jofra Archer in the Royals' squad while helping the likes of Riyan Parag and Rahul Tewatia with some big-hitting late in the innings.
However, for that to happen, Chris Morris will have to conquer the 'price-tag' pressure, something which has drowned many before him.
Catch all the quickest live updates from IPL auction 2021 here.
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