Morris admitted that he had never seen “this much money”
South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris, who had a base price of $20,000 in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, admitted that he was not expecting to be bought for a whopping $625,000 by the Chennai Super Kings.
Morris also revealed that he could not believe what he had heard initially and added that he has never seen that kind of money in his entire life.
“I have never in my life seen this much money,” he told ESPNcricinfo after being bought for an eye-popping 31 times what his base price was set at.
Morris was also being pursued by the Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore, but both franchises fell short after Chennai offered the outstanding amount.
The South African all-rounder, who was following the auction on his iPad, further admitted that he did not expect so many IPL franchises to be that interested in buying him.
“Neil McKenzie had a little joke with me when it got to [USD] 450,000 but nobody could really believe what was happening,” he added.
In terms of Rand, which is the official currency used in South Africa, the 25-year-old just earned 5.5 million and he has no idea on what to do with the money other than spend some of it on his parents.
“I honestly don’t know,” he said. “I suppose one of the things I’d like to do is give my parents anything they should like and spoil them a little bit.”
During South Africa’s national Twenty20 tournament last year, Morris was the leading wicket-taker for the Highveld Lions and to cap off an extraordinary year, the all-rounder was spotted by Chennai coach Steven Fleming during the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20), which ultimately led to the former New Zealand skipper convincing his IPL franchise to chase after Morris during the auction.
“He (Fleming) came and had a chat to me afterwards and said he was impressed with the way I bowled,” Morris said. “So I guess that was a big platform for me.
“Fleming was one of my heroes as a schoolboy, so it will be an honour to be around him. And obviously with Faf (du Plessis) and Albie (Morkel) playing there, it’s going to be quite fun.”
Morris is understandably excited about playing in his first season of the IPL and cannot wait to head to Chennai.
“I’ve heard it’s pretty hot,” he said. “But I’ve heard stories from people like Faf about how everyone is cricket-crazy, and I really just want to experience the vibe there.”
But, before Morris can start thinking about heading to India for the IPL, he has to ensure that he fully recovers from a quad injury he is currently undergoing treatment for.
“That quad injury was a real eye opener for me,” Morris added. “I realised how quickly things can change in a career.
“I’ve been working hard with the physiotherapist on my rehab processes and on getting my body right, and at the moment I am feeling good and ready to play.”