IPL 2021: "We've got some young players who are going to play for India" - Chris Morris
Rajasthan Royals (RR) all-rounder Chris Morris has dismissed suggestions that the franchise is backing Indian youngsters despite their performances not being up to the mark. According to Morris, every player in the team, Indian or overseas, is being picked on merit.
RR’s hopes of making the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs got tougher as they went down to the Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets in Dubai on Monday. RR skipper Sanju Samson fought a lone battle for the team, scoring 82 as the franchise could only post 164 for 5 batting first.
At a virtual press conference post the defeat, Morris was asked whether RR were placing too much faith on the Indian youngsters in the contingent, who haven’t been able to deliver consistently. The 34-year-old replied in the negative.
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“We are absolutely right to give them (young Indian players) opportunities because we’ve got some young players who are going to play for India over the next couple of years. The guys that are getting opportunities are seriously good players and they are playing for a reason. There is no one in the team who doesn’t deserve to be there,” Morris said, defending the young Indian contingent in the team.
The South African further pointed out that, as a team, everyone needs to contribute much more with the willow and back skipper Samson.
“In terms of getting runs, everyone needs to be scoring more runs. Sanju (Samson) is obviously playing so well. We have glimpses of guys scoring runs but it’s pretty simple - all of us have to contribute a lot more. You can’t have one player do it for you every game. End of the day, every single player is being picked on merit,” Morris opined.
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While Samson top-scored for RR with 82 on Monday, Yashasvi Jaiswal made 36 and Mahipal Lomror remained unbeaten on 29 from 28. Riyan Parag was dismissed for a duck in the last over. He was out for 4 and 2 in the previous two games.
“Need to get every single point to push for last playoffs spot” - Chris Morris
Morris admitted that Monday’s defeat to SRH has made their qualification path for the IPL 2021 playoffs tougher. RR are presently in sixth position in the points table, with eight points from 10 games. KKR, PBKS and MI also have equal points from the same number of matches.
“Absolutely, there are four teams vying for that last playoffs spot and there are some seriously good teams. That is very tough but this is the best and the toughest tournament in the world. There are some world-class players and every game is going to be tough whether it is SRH, who are at the bottom, and showed their class tonight, or you are playing the guys who are at the top of the log, who are there for a reason,” he said.
Morris conceded that RR cannot afford any more slip-ups from the position they currently find themselves in.
“It’s crunch time now and we need to start stringing some important results together. Like we keep saying, win the big moments in the game. We need to get every single point that we possibly can to push for that last playoffs spot because it is getting tough,” he concluded.
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The South African cricketer himself is having a tough time. He conceded 47 runs against PBKS and, after missing the match against DC, went wicketless against SRH as well.