The Kings XI Punjab's push to win the 2020 Indian Premier League were dented when they were unable to purchase Proteas all-rounder Chris Morris at Thursday's player auction in Kolkata.
KXIP were involved in a heavy bidding war with the Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore for the South African's services. The Mumbai Indians also got in on the bidding belatedly.
Morris ultimately went to the Royal Challengers Bangalore, though. His arrival, as a big-hitting batsman and steady right-arm seamer, will boost their odds of winning the title.
Take a look at where the Royal Challengers Bangalore have finished in previous IPLs. For all their big name batsmen and large buys at the auctions, RCB have never really lived up to expectation. They've lost three finals and at the 2019 Indian Premier League ended at the bottom of the table.
IPL Finishing Positions for Royal Challengers Bangalore
| Year | Finishing position |
| 2008 | 7th |
| 2009 | Runners-up |
| 2010 | Play-offs (4th) |
| 2011 | Runners-up |
| 2012 | 5th |
| 2013 | 5th |
| 2014 | 7th |
| 2015 | Play-offs (3rd) |
| 2016 | Runners-up |
| 2017 | 8th |
| 2018 | 6th |
| 2019 | 8th |
The Mumbai Indians won't fuss too much about not getting Morris. The man they were really after was snatched up at the very first opportunity at the auction. Australian Chris Lynn was bought by the Mumbai franchise for INR 2 crore. He will be awesome to watch in combination with Rohit Sharma at the top of the order. When the individual batting markets are ready, Sharma and Lynn will no doubt be among the best to bet on. For now, though, it's not a bad shout to just pick Mumbai for an outright win. 888sport have them at 4/1 for an outright win.
“We have identified the seven slots we wanted to fill. Some of the buys are steals at base prices. To release players is the most difficult part of the IPL,” said Mumbai Indians owner Akash Ambani.
“We were champions and we traded 12 players because of injuries. We did it to give the players more playing time in other franchises. It was very difficult letting go of them and would want to wish them the best going forward.”
One trade the Mumbai Indians really benefited from, though, is the arrival of Trent Boult. The New Zealand fast bowler joined from the Delhi Capitals.
