IPL 2021: "Sangakkara drew a finger across his throat and it was chaos!" - Chris Morris discloses surreal scenes before suspension
Chris Morris recently talked about the environment in the Rajasthan Royals camp during the tense moments before and after the sudden suspension of IPL 2021 this week.
The South African revealed how the franchise's director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara 'drew a finger across his throat', indicating that the tournament had been called off. He also narrated how the squad members, especially the English players panicked, thus creating a chaotic atmosphere.
βI was chatting to our team doctor, whose room was across the hallway from my mine in the hotel and Kumar (Sangakarra) came around the corner and drew his finger across his throat. It was then that we knew it was over. And it was chaos! The England guys especially were panicking because they needed to isolate in hotels in England first, and apparently, there werenβt any rooms,β Morris told IOL.
Two players from the Kolkata Knight Riders and five members of the Chennai Super Kings team tested positive for COVID-19 on May 3rd. This resulted in the suspension of KKR's match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Chris Morris emphasized that the players sensed that even after this bubble breach, IPL 2021 was 'under pressure' to continue.
"The moment we heard that players were testing positive inside the bubble, everyone starts asking questions. The alarm bells definitely started going off for all of us. By Monday, when they postponed that game (KKR vs RCB), we knew the tournament was under pressure to continue,β Morris added.
However, the damage control measures put in placed failed as more players and staff members from different franchises tested positive for the coronavirus the following day. The tournament was indefinitely suspended on May 4th.
The Royalsβ management made everyone feel as comfortable as possible: Chris Morris
Chris Morris lauded RR's backroom staff for helping the players feel comfortable. He also stated that the hotel atmosphere was 'eerie' and explained how he tried to settle the nerves of Protea youngster Gerald Coetzee.
βThe Royalsβ management were brilliant, they had their fingers on the pulse. They made everyone feel as comfortable as possible. I know poor Gerald was panicking a bit, I mean heβs only 20 and all this is going on. I tried to keep him under my wing a bit and made sure he was ready when the 12.30 am pick-up came at the hotel. It was eerie, it was just a handful of us in that whole hotel at the time,β said Chris Morris.
Chris Morris and the other South African players have reached back home and will undergo a mandatory quarantine period before returning to their families.