Cricket:Eoin Morgan's stock continued to soar today as it was confirmed that the Royal Challengers Bangalore paid €150,000 for his services at the 2010 Indian Premier League auction.
And from what the Irish left-hander has so far shown in international appearances, first for Ireland and then for England, he certainly has the skills to make the IPL sit up and take notice.
Morgan’s 67 from just 34 balls as England knocked South Africa out of their own Champions Trophy last September was doubtless the innings which alerted the money men at the IPL to his potential.
Many others already knew, of course, that — despite a meagre first-class average — Morgan was going places.
Two months later, an unbeaten 85 at The Wanderers did for South Africa again. This time his match-winning came in a Twenty20, but the ingredients were the same.
Morgan, uniquely perhaps, combines deft and electrically quick footwork and hand-eye co-ordination — attributed by to his love of hurling — with unexpected power from his light 5ft 9in frame.
Throw in his youthful athleticism between the wickets and in the field — he is a superb catcher in the ring and on the boundary — and you have a perfectly-formed Twenty20 package.
So far, English impact at the IPL has been limited to Andrew Flintoff and Morgan’s new Challengers team-mate Kevin Pietersen.
The likes of Paul Collingwood, Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah also have franchise affiliation but made little or no impact last term.
Meanwhile, Flintoff will not be back this year because of injury and Pietersen needs to re-establish himself as England’s best batsmen before he considers what he may be able to do in his second IPL window.
Morgan, however, appears a different case entirely. Given a fair chance to demonstrate his abilities — and it seems last year’s beaten finalists will surely do that — Morgan has all the attributes to be a major success on and off the field.
He was all set to for his first taste of IPL-style glamour 15 months ago when Middlesex were preparing to fly out for the inaugural Champions League, only for the event to be cancelled because of the Mumbai terrorist attacks on the eve of the tournament.
For Morgan, the timing is perhaps even better now — his natural talent having had more exposure at the highest level, and his own faith in his abilities inevitably enhanced.
Morgan’s one-day and Twenty20 assignments, for franchise and country, are set to take him to all points east and west in northern-hemisphere cricket in the next four months — with barely a moment to catch breath between long-haul flights.
On February 13th, Morgan will travel with England to the United Arab Emirates on Twenty20 duty; then it will be on to Bangladesh for three ODIs. That leaves a week before the start of the IPL, which finishes a matter of days before the second ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies.
Only 11 players were signed overall in today’s auction, with West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard and New Zealand paceman Shane Bond the costliest signings.
