Proteas allrounder Chris Morris on Thursday became the most expensive player bought for the Indian Premier League (IPL) when Rajasthan Royals paid R33 million for him.
The fee smashed the record $2.2 million paid for Yuvraj Singh by Delhi Daredevils in 2015. Australia’s Pat Cummins had previously been the most expensive foreign player when Kolkata Knight Riders paid $2.17m for him in 2019.
Meanwhile, Proteas pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada says he won’t rush to play at the IPL.
The Delhi Capitals ace says: “The country comes first. I might miss a week of IPL, but the country comes first.”
“Delhi has been my home in India, but national duty is a priority.”
Although no dates for the IPL have been announced yet, the tournament is set to start in April, which could see it clash with South Africa’s limited overs series against Pakistan.
Given ‘bio bubble’ protocols, Rabada could miss more than just the first week.
The Pakistanis will play four T20 and three One-Day Internationals between April 2 and April 16, putting Rabada and some of the other South African participants in the IPL in danger of missing the start of the lucrative T20 league.
Besides Rabada and Nortje, Faf du Plessis and Lungi Ngidi, who play for the Chennai franchise could also miss the first week or two of the IPL, should they be picked for the Pakistan contests.