 | « Back to article | Print this article |
After suffering a seven-wicket loss against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals' director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara said all-rounder Chris Morris knows that he has not done a good enough job in the last few games.
Chasing 150, Glenn Maxwell and Srikar Bharat scored 50 and 44 respectively as RCB defeated Royals by seven wickets, with 17 balls to spare. Royals have struggled in this year's IPL, managing just four wins from 11 matches.
The South African all-rounder has managed just 67 runs in 10 matches, while taking 14 wickets at an economy rate of 9.40.
"Chris Morris did brilliantly for us in the first half and he has not done the job as we would have liked him to in the second half. He knows that and we know that. 50 runs from four overs, his last over was the last throw of the dice to try and get a wicket. We were well out of the game at that point. He has done well for us in certain parts and whoever we think of playing next will be the best person to come into the side to play against the opposition," Sangakkara said after the match,
When asked about his conversations with skipper Sanju Samson, Sangakkara said: "We do have one on one chat about a lot of things. India's aspirations come at a time when the IPL is over. Our chats are primarily IPL focused, not just his batting, it is about the captaincy, the team, and what we want to do. He is a very good player, he has done exceptionally well for us this season."
"I am sure that Sanju's aspirations for playing for India will come true and he will get a longer run in the future. He is good and ready anytime he is picked," he added.
Earlier, Harshal Patel's three-wicket haul helped RCB restrict Royals to 149/9, with Evin Lewis top-scoring with 58 runs from 37 balls.
"Well, the pitches have been very good. Especially in the first half of the tournament in India, we were struggling in powerplays and our middle and late middle-order was getting us into games. In the second half, we have gone the other way. That has been the case for us. In the last two games, from a good position, we were unable to convert, unfortunately, we have not got to the mark where we take the opposition out of the game," said Sangakkara.