NEWS
Follow UsRajasthan Royals (RR) all-rounder Chris Morris reckons match readiness is going to be an issue for some players as his team gear up for the second phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. While many have been playing international cricket or in leagues around the world since the league got cancelled in May, some of the players have not played any competitive cricket.
"Match readiness is going to be an issue just like last time when IPL was played in Dubai. People will take a couple of games to get rustiness out of their way," Morris, one of the mainstays in this Royals line-up, said when asked about the challenges of having the IPL in two halves.
"Fortunately, overseas players have been playing some cricket. I have done pre-season at home, trying to lose weight. Match fitness is always the best type of fitness. We have had two warm-up games now and we have spent time on our feet," Morris said.
IPL's most expensive player, Morris added that match simulations can never be enough as they do not match the intensity of real games.
"You can never simulate match intensity and I think a few guys will struggle to get that rustiness off. That's the nature of the beast of COVID at the moment," he said.
"Some guys will have to shake off their rustiness and I think that's part and parcel of the game. You have to find out a way to get out and make it work," he added.
For Morris, all the freelance overseas players like Liam Livingstone, and Evin Lewis to name a few, will add a lot of intensity to the game. "The guys who are there are playing leagues and scoring quite a lot of runs and making massive impact around the world," he said.
Morris also said that the Royals' bowling unit has the quality to restrict the opposition. "The bowling unit is going to be under pressure as it's the bowlers who win you matches, we know we have the quality to restrict teams and at the business end, we will come out all guns blazing," he added.
RR resume their IPL 2021 campaign against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Tuesday (September 21) in Dubai. They have collected six points from seven matches this season so far
(With inputs from PTI)