Morris' inclusion gives Rajasthan Royals flexibility in using Archer, says Sangakkara

Dubai - The 33-year-old South African all-rounder returns to the Royals fold after being part of the squad in 2015

It was tad more expensive than they would have imagined, the costliest buy in IPL history, but the Rajasthan Royals went the distance to finally get their man. And former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara, the newly-appointed Director of Cricket of the Rajasthan Royals, felt that Chris Morris was worth much more than every penny that they shelled out.

Following a bidding war with defending champions Mumbai Indians, his former franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore and the rechristened Punjab Kings, the Royals managed to prise out the South African all-rounder for a whopping Rs. 16.22 crore ($2.25 million).

The 33-year-old returns to the Royals fold after being part of the squad in 2015 and Sangakkara said that Morris’ inclusion opens up a lot of options on how they can use English pace ace Jofra Archer.

“Morris’ price was significantly high in terms of auction price but usually, in these small auctions, when sides have specific gaps to fill, the trend is that you will have to pay what it takes to get the player that you want,” Sangakkara said during a virtual media roundtable on Friday.

“Morris has a very specific role for us to play in supporting Archer. It gives us a lot more flexibility in the way we use Archer. And also, Morris’ numbers, when he’s been fit and strong, has been some of the best in all IPL, especially at the death, his numbers are probably at No.1. And in terms of game impact, he’s very much in that top bracket. So, his ability, in that sense, is very crucial for us and then it frees us up to think of how to use Archer in other ways. We also have Andrew Tye in our line-up, Mustafizur Rahman and then of course we have the young Indian quicks as well to support that. So, it gives us a few more combinations that we can play. Of course, we would have liked to have got him for much less but then Mumbai and then of course Kings were as interested in him as we were and then we had to kind of push through that upper limit,” he added.

Sangakkara, who played 134 Tests, 404 ODIs and 56 T20Is, and also turned out for Kings XI Punjab, Deccan Chargers and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, said that he would take a more hands-on approach in his new role. He was the mentor for Team Abu Dhabi and helped them finish third in the Abu Dhabi T10 League.

And it will be an interesting prospect with Sangakkara going up against his close friend and former teammate Mahela Jayawardene, who is the Mumbai Indians coach, in this season’s IPL.

“It is very interesting,” Sangakkara said, replying to a question from the Khaleej Times.

“At the end of the day, Mumbai play Rajasthan Royals and the players play each other. Our jobs, once the players go onto the field is basically done. So, I think for him as well as for me, doing the best that we can with the franchise, players and the team that we have and freeing them up to do what they do best. Mumbai has a great side, they have managed to build the core over the years, an excellent core and an excellent array of players. So, they have been the side to beat over the last three seasons. So, everyone knows that in this competition and when you play them, you have to be at the top of your game,” the 43-year-old added.

james@khaleejtimes.com