Chris Morris praised RCB skipper Virat Kohli for his match-winning knock of 90 runs. CSK failed in their chase of 170 and managed only 132/8 in allotted 20 overs. RCB were struggling at 93/4 in the middle of the 15th over, but an unbeaten 76 run partnership with the skipper and all-rounder Shivam Dube propelled them to post 169/4.
Chris Morris was playing his first match for RCB in IPL 2020 and picked up three wickets including all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran and Dwayne Bravo in the 17th and 19th over to end CSK’s hopes for a win.
Chris Morris: Virat Kohli Is An Absolute Genius As He Did Exemplary Well Against CSK’s Inexperienced Bowling Line-up
RCB managed to score 169 runs after Virat Kohli led from the front by scoring a brisk 90 off 52 balls including four boundaries and four sixes. He was supported by Shivam Dube who remained unbeaten on 22 off 14 balls after opener Devdutt Padikkal scored 33 off 34 balls.
“Halfway through our batting innings, I would be lying to you if I say we did not think that we needed to get a move on, Virat played brilliantly, the wicket was too paced and sticky, it was a Test match length wicket, you did not need to try too much on this wicket.
“At the end of the day, the wickets will get slower, hopefully, some of the bowlers will get luckier as compared to the batsmen,” said Morris during the post-match press conference.
“After 16 overs, we just thought something needed to happen, there’s a reason why Virat has the most number of runs in the IPL, he is an absolute genius, he did really well against such an experienced bowling lineup, he likes to lead from the front, I like how he goes about his game, he is a leader who likes to win and it helps the rest of the team, I like how he goes about his game,” he added.
Virat Kohli now has 5635 runs in 183 IPL matches averaging 38.33. He scored only 18 runs in first three matches but now has 223 runs in six matches in IPL 2020 averaging 55.75 which includes two half-centuries. He is the leading run-scorer in IPL history.
Chris Morris Acknowledged He Was Nervous Before Debuting For RCB
Chris Morris returned from injury and picked three wickets in his first game for RCB conceding only 19 runs. He has 72 wickets from 62 matches in IPL averaging only 24.
“I was very nervous, it has been a while since I last played a game, so I was very nervous, I had butterflies in my stomach, it was like I was making my Test debut again. Happy to get on the park, any contribution I can make, it is a good feeling,” said Morris.
“I think it obviously has been an interesting competition for the bowlers so far, the pitches have changed slightly, somedays the dew comes in and it is a factor and somedays its drier, we have tried to figure it out as to what will suit our bowling unit. I think slowly but surely the guys are doing their job now. It is a nice bowling unit to be a part of,” he added.
RCB will next face Kolkata Knight Riders. RCB are placed 4th having eight points with four wins and two losses in six games.
The 33-year-old Chris Morris was bought by CSK in 2013 and Delhi Daredevils in 2016 but was picked up for 10 crores by RCB in IPL 2020 auction.