IPL 2022: 3 teams that might target Eoin Morgan in mega auction

A couple of months after taking his franchise to the final of the Indian Premier League, Eoin Morgan was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). One of the best-limited overs captains in recent times, Eoin Morgan has been a valuable asset, to any side he plays for. With his recent form with the bat far from his best, there might be a few hiccups before teams go big on him.

Placing himself at INR 1.5 cr bracket in the IPL 2022 mega auction, the southpaw, despite his poor show with the bat, will surely be in demand, with a lot of captaincy spots vacant across franchises. With a potential 6th home awaiting him in the IPL waiting for him, let’s look at three that might target Morgan.

Three teams that might target Eoin Morgan in the mega auction:

1. Royal Challengers Bangalore 

The 2022 edition of the IPL will present a new look to the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise. For the first time since 2013, RCB will be led by a new full-time captain with Virat Kohli stepping down. In the quest to clinch their first-ever title, the team has a big shoe to fill in the form of AB de Villiers, who recently announced his retirement. With a lot of potential options to choose out of the 590 players to go under the hammer, the RCB might target the former KKR captain.

It is complicated to explain Morgan’s journey in the IPL. He has a history of being handed captaincy at the last moment. Being handed leadership charges mid-season in 2020, he led KKR to their third final last season. However, he had an unforgettable season with the bat, averaging just 11 and not a single half-century in the 17 matches. Having played for RCB back in 2010, Morgan would not mind taking up the challenge in front of him.

The team presents two needs – A captain and a destructive player like ABD. While he may not be the biggest hitter of the ball, the Irishman could be the solution to these problems. The RCB team will need to take a gamble with Eoin Morgan’s poor run in recent times.

Nevertheless, like they say, “form is temporary, class is permanent”. Going into the auction with 57 crores in hand, the RCB will look to acquire the most successful T20I captain to fill a trophy in their empty cabinet.

2. Punjab Kings

Time and again, the Punjab Kings squad looks powerful on paper. However, this ‘power’ seems to be missing every time they face opposition. Missing out to qualify into the top four for the seventh year in succession, the franchise decided to go for a complete revamp, retaining only two players from their 2021 squad. While the situation is tricky, the experience of a leader like Eoin Morgan could play a game-changing role for the Punjab side.

The Punjab Kings have always placed the wrong foot in the auction. The previous seasons saw the entire batting unit dependent on the openers. While Chris Gayle performed in a couple of games, none of their overseas players could produce a dent in the opposition. With the captaincy spot still vacant in the side, appointing Eoin Morgan will give them a stable middle-order batter and a captain who could possibly bring a change as he did for English limited-overs cricket.

With his bold and courageous captaincy style, Morgan can possibly turn fortunes to the franchise which more often than not, cuts a sorry figure in the tournament. The team enters with the highest pursue value of 72 crores. With 23 spots to fill, and KL Rahul being released, the Punjab team will surely target the former KKR captain.

3. Sunrisers Hyderabad 

Nothing added up for the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise last year. Ending up at the bottom of the table for the first time, auction 2022 will be crucial for the team. Retaining only captain Kane Williamson and uncapped Abdul Samad and Umran Malik, the squad would need some experience and talent to get back to the high standards of cricket it has produced over the years. Eoin Morgan can surely be a player the SRH team can target.

SRH had the lowest average death overs score (42.17) last season against an average of 47.03 scored by the rest of the teams. A shortage of 25 runs in a T20 game is massive. A player of Eoin’s calibre can play a handful of roles to fix that challenge. Apart from Manish Pandey, no other player fired in the middle order leaving the team with too much to chase or too little to defend. During his best days, he can finish off games and fix SRH’s finisher spot.

With a lot of cash in hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad can ignite a bidding war and go after Eoin Morgan without any hesitation. A duo of the ODI World Cup and Test Championship winning captains could prove to be deadly, taking the SRH team back to the top.