Team India will miss the services of Jasprit Bumrah in the Champions Trophy 2025 after the pacer was unable to recover in time from a back injury. However, India will enjoy the return of fellow pacer Mohammed Shami, who has successfully returned to action over the T20Is and ODIs against England. Shami was India’s highest wicket-taker in the 2023 World Cup, and former India pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji believes that he could ensure that India do not miss Bumrah during the Champions Trophy. Balaji, in fact, even made a bold statement.

“Actually, he (Shami) had out-bowled Bumrah in the 2019 (50-over World Cup) and in the last World Cup (2023). Bumrah is the champion bowler across formats. But Shami has experience and, before Bumrah’s arrival, it was Shami who carried India’s attack all through,” Balaji said, speaking to PTI.

Shami went on a rampage during the 2023 World Cup, picking up 24 wickets in just seven games, finishing as the highest wicket-taker of the tournament.

In the 2019 World Cup, Shami played only four games but took 14 wickets, just four less than Bumrah, who played five matches more.

Balaji emphasized that Shami’s performances hold the key for India in the Champions Trophy 2025.

“I think it’s very important. If India has to do well, then Shami has to come good with the new ball. The kind of impact he can make in his first six overs with the new ball, it will play a crucial role for India,” Balaji added.

The major worry regarding Shami remains the fact that the 34-year-old still shows off a bit of rustiness despite playing two T20Is and two ODIs, as well as a host of domestic games.

However, Balaji expressed confidence in the fact that Shami can overcome this issue and get back to his best.

“Since that (ankle) injury has happened, there was a little bit of slowness, maybe. It’s natural. But there is nothing you can do about it. It’s part of any sportsperson’s career,” Balaji said.

“He has the experience to get over it and he will do it as he bowls more. It’s just about accepting the (physical) condition and continuing his best practices,” Balaji added.

In Bumrah’s absence, India captain Rohit Sharma can pick among Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and all-rounder Hardik Pandya to formulate his pace attack. One of Arshdeep or Harshit is expected to feature in the playing XI alongside Shami.

India open their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign against Bangladesh on February 20.

Lakshmipathy Balaji is confident that Jasprit Bumrah can thrive as captain of the Test team.© BCCI

Former South Africa pace great Morne Morkel has been roped in as the Indian cricket team’s new bowling coach, BCCI secretary Jay Shah told PTI on Wednesday, completing the appointment of new head coach Gautam Gambhir‘s preferred support staff. It is understood that the 39-year-old, who replaces Paras Mhambrey, will take over as the bowling coach from the Bangladesh series that starts with the opening Test in Chennai from September 19. He has been appointed till the end of the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.

“Yes, Morne Morkel has been appointed bowling coach of the senior India men’s team,” Shah told PTI.

The other members of Gambhir’s support staff are assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, and fielding coach Ryan Ten Doeschate.

Morkel was also Gambhir’s preferred choice, having worked with him at Lucknow Super Giants during the Indian’s two IPL seasons as mentor of the franchise.

Morkel has played 86 Tests, 117 ODIs and 44 T20Is for South Africa with a total of 544 international wickets.

He will be reporting in Bengaluru’s National Cricket Academy at the start of next month and is expected to watch the Duleep Trophy games. Once there, he will also touch base with VVS Laxman and head of bowling in NCA, Troy Cooley.

According to sources, Morkel was directly appointed on Gambhir’s recommendation ahead of other options like Lakshmipathy Balaji and R Vinay Kumar.

“The Cricket Advisory Committee’s (CAC) mandate was to interview the candidates for the head coach. When it came to choice of support staff, it was imperative that Gambhir’s choice prevailed. He has worked with Morne and thinks of him highly as a bowling coach,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

“Also with the big series against Australia coming up Down Under from last week of November, there isn’t a better choice than the South African, who has himself enjoyed fair bit of success over there. Also there will be the five-Test tour of England next year with a potential sixth match if India reach WTC final.” It is understood that Balaji and Vinay’s names weren’t considered once it was clear that Morkel would carry forward the good work done by Mhambrey.

One half of the famous fast bowling duo that featured Dale Steyn, Morkel is a cricketing heavyweight and has also played quite a lot in India to have a fair idea about the conditions.

Also, his stint in the IPL has allowed him to have a ringside view of India’s next crop of fast bowlers including the most exciting of them all — Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan and Yash Thakur to name a few.

A lot of observers believe that Morkel worked quite a lot with Mayank during the past two seasons of IPL even though he remained injured for the better part.

Morkel’s biggest challenge will be to handle the transition phase as Mohammed Shami enters the business end of his illustrious career and Jasprit Bumrah needs more potent support apart from Mohammed Siraj, especially in red-ball cricket.

Morkel had last year worked with the Pakistan team till the end of the ODI World Cup and quit before his contract expired.

India have never had any spin bowling coach as such although former director Ravi Shastri was a distinguished left-arm spinner in his playing days. Sairaj Bahutule, who is a part of Laxman’s team at the NCA, has travelled on and off with the senior team.

File photo of Gautam Gambhir© AFP

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) remains in the hunt for new support staff after appointing Gautam Gambhir as the senior men’s team’s new head coach. Gambhir himself has also been quite keen to wrap up the search for his coaching staff soon, though his suggestions for different roles in the team haven’t reportedly been well received by the board. Gambhir had suggested the names of R Vinay Kumar, Morne Morkel, Abhishek Nayar, Ryan Ten Doeschate, Jonty Rhodes, and Laxmipathy Balaji for different roles, but the board seems to be in agreement on only one of these players.

As per a report in the Economic Times, the BCCI has rejected all of Gambhir’s suggestions, barring Abhishek Nayar, who works as Kolkata Knight Riders’ assistant coach at present. Though no formal announcement has taken place, the BCCI is reportedly in agreement with Gambhir’s request to add him as coaching staff.

But, the bowling and fielding coach’s spots remain wide open, with the board not keen to appoint Morkel, Vinay Kumar Balaji, Rhodes, or Ten Doeschate to these roles. In the past, the BCCI has given a free hand to Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid to select their coaching staff. But, the same doesn’t seem to be true for Gambhir.

The BCCI reportedly wants Zaheer Khan as the next bowling coach of the Indian team. Zaheer, one of the finest pacers to have played the game, picked up 311 Test wickets in 92 matches and overall 610 scalps in 309 international matches across all formats for India. He is considered one of the greatest left-arm pacers to have played the sport.

Balaji’s name was reportedly also discussed. He represented Team India in eight Test matches where he has managed to snap 27 wickets at an average of 37.18. On the other hand, he bagged 34 wickets in 30 ODIs at an average of 39.52.

The term of Paras Mahambrey, who was the bowling coach of team India when Rahul Dravid was the head coach, has come to an end. As for the fielding coach, it has also been reported that T Dilip’s tenure could be extended.

Following the appointment of Gautam Gambhir as India’s head coach on Tuesday, former seamers Zaheer Khan and Lakshmipathy Balaji are being considered for the position of national team’s bowling coach, as per sources. “BCCI discussing the names of Zaheer Khan and Lakshmipati Balaji for the position of bowling coach. BCCI is not interested in the name of Vinay Kumar,” sources told ANI. Zaheer has picked up 311 Test wickets in 92 matches and overall 610 scalps in 309 international matches across all formats for Men in Blue. He is considered one of the greatest left-arm pacers to have played the sport.

Balaji has represented Team India in eight Test matches where he has managed to snap 27 wickets at an average of 37.18. On the other hand, he has bagged 34 wickets in 30 ODIs at an average of 39.52.

The appointment of a new set of support staff for Team India follows the appointment of Gautam Gambhir as head coach. The term of Paras Mahambrey, who was the bowling coach of team India, has come to an end.

Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah on Tuesday announced that former cricketer Gautam Gambhir has been appointed as the Indian men’s cricket team’s new head coach.

Gambhir was a left-handed opener for the India team and served as Kolkata Knight Riders’ team mentor in the Indian Premier League 2024. KKR lifted their third IPL trophy this season under Gambhir’s guidance.

Jay Shah took to his official X account and announced Gambhir’s appointment as Team India’s new Head Coach.

The BCCI secretary added that he has his full confidence in Gambhir and that he will be the ideal person to steer Indian Cricket forward.

“It is with immense pleasure that I welcome Mr @GautamGambhir as the new Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team. Modern-day cricket has evolved rapidly, and Gautam has witnessed this changing landscape up close. Having endured the grind and excelled in various roles throughout his career, I am confident that Gautam is the ideal person to steer Indian Cricket forward. His clear vision for #TeamIndia, coupled with his vast experience, positions him perfectly to take on this exciting and most sought-after coaching role. The @BCCI fully supports him as he embarks on this new journey,” Shah wrote on X.

Rahul Dravid’s tenure as the head coach of Team India came to an end after the conclusion of the final match of the T20 World Cup 2024, where India beat South Africa by seven runs to win the prestigious trophy after 17 years.

Rohit Sharma (L) and Hardik Pandya© AFP