Eoin Morgan will be Kolkata Knight Riders' trump card in IPL 2020, believes Harsha Bhogle

Morgan was less accomplished a player when he had last featured in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). But after guiding England to their maiden World Cup title win at home in 2019, Eoin Morgan’s name has become hot in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

After having played in the IPL 2017, Morgan went unsold in two back-to-back years but his mega success brought him back to the fold and old franchise KKR brought him for Rs 5.25 crore. The three other franchises for which Morgan has played are Royal Challengers Bangalore (2010), Sunrisers Hyderabad (2015, 2016) and Kings XI Punjab (2017).

Ace cricket commentator-cum-analyst Harsha Bhogle said in a tweet on Sunday that although the Irish-born batsman has not proved to be the same force in the IPL as he is for the Three Lions, yet he would not be surprised if he creates a major impact for the Knight Riders in the 2020 season.

Morgan has played in the IPL for seven seasons (barring 2014 when he did not enter) and in 52 matches in them, he has scored 854 runs at a strike-rate of 121 above (his overall strike-rate is 132-plus in T20s and 137-plus in T20Is). He has made only four fifties in the tournament with the highest score of 66.

I know he has never been quite the player in the IPL that he has been for England but I will be surprised if @Eoin16 doesn't create an impact with @KKRiders this year

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) February 16, 2020

Eoin Morgan eases England’s chase of 223 in 20 overs

Bhogle’s high assessment of Morgan came in the wake of his blistering knock of 57 not out in 22 balls (seven sixes) against South Africa in the deciding T20I in Centurion on Sunday. Chasing a steep target of 223 to win in 20 overs, it was Morgan’s innings besides those from Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow that sealed the deal for the visitors who won the series 2-1.

Morgan was adjudged both as the man of the match and series. He had scored 52 in 34 balls in the first match in East London as well though England lost the game by a solitary run.

In the World Cup last year, Morgan had slammed a 148 in only 71 balls against Afghanistan in a league match and was particularly brutal against ace spinner Rashid Khan whom he belted for seven big sixes. Knight Riders will also be looking forward to seeing Morgan delivering in the company of their star performer Andre Russell.

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