India’s Abhishek Sharma during a practice session before an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between India and South Africa, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, in Ahmedabad, on February 20, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI

India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel, left, with Nitish Reddy during a training session. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Just days before the start of the ICC Champions Trophy, Team India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel had to fly back home from Dubai due to the death of his father. Morkel reached Dubai with the other members of the Indian team on February 15 and was part of many training sessions in the Middle Eastern region. But, the South African wasn’t a part of the team’s practice session on Monday. It was later reported that the former Proteas fast bowler was preparing to return home due to the unforeseen development.

Morkel’s return schedule is not yet confirmed, as per Dainik Jagran, and his absence is bound to affect Team India’s hopes of winning the Champions Trophy. India are scheduled to begin their ICC Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20.

A Glimpse Into Team India’s Preparations

Gearing up for the finisher’s role, wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul worked on his big-hitting skills as the Indian team trained for the second time on Monday ahead of their Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh.

Rahul, typically known for his technical approach, appeared to shift gears as he focused on playing aggressive shots.

With Rishabh Pant pushing for a spot in the playing XI, the 32-year-old seemed to embrace a more proactive, power-hitting mindset.

Rahul, who scored a quick-fire 40 off 29 balls in the third ODI against England, was seen clearing the ropes with ease, practicing sixes off almost every delivery.

Set to bat at No 5 or 6, Rahul’s role will be crucial in the final overs, where he might need to accelerate the innings from the outset and he could be seen practicing range-hitting during the high-intensity session.

Shreyas Iyer, who has displayed aggressive batting in the recent series, also worked on his power game.

Opener Shubman Gill, fresh from a Player-of-the-Series performance in the ODIs against England with scores of 87, 60, and 112, looked in sublime touch with a range of elegant strokes, including crisp drives and pulls.

India skipper Rohit Sharma, who returned to form with a scintillating 119 in the second ODI against England, also looked sharp, practicing late cuts and delicate touch shots.

India’s batting mainstay Virat Kohli, who showed signs of regaining form after hitting a 52 in the third ODI, also spent time honing his skills. He looked confident as he was middling the ball and tried to play late.

With PTI Inputs

India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel is delighted at having Mohammed Shami back in the squad, hinting at a possible return for the veteran pacer in the upcoming game. Shami, who made his first appearance for India since the ODI World Cup 2023 final, played in the third T20I against England. Though he went wicketless, the experienced seamer showcased his trademark seam position, conceding 25 runs in three overs at an economy rate of 8.33. Speaking about Shami’s impact, Morkel said in the post-match press conference, “Shami’s been bowling really well, catching to him at warm-ups… so very happy he’s coming along. He’s probably going to get an opportunity in the next game, we’ll see how things go, but excited to have him back in the group.”

Beyond his on-field performance, Morkel highlighted Shami’s invaluable role in mentoring the younger bowlers in the squad.

“Just for him to share his experience and his knowledge at training is a massive boost for this young bowling unit and for Indian cricket, so yeah, great to have Shami back in the mix,” he added.

With the series evenly poised, Shami’s presence could be a significant advantage for India as they look to fine-tune their bowling attack. His wealth of experience and skillset will not only bolster India’s pace department but also serve as a guiding force for the younger bowlers in the squad.

Harshit Rana and Ravi Bishnoi’s three-wicket hauls helped India clinch a thrilling 15-run win over England in the fourth T20I match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday, handing the Men in Blue an unassailable lead in the five-match series.

The Indian bowling dominated the second innings with early wickets.

The hosts got an advantage after Harshit Rana replaced concussed Shivam Dube in the second inning. Rana’s presence in the playing eleven gave a huge boost to the Men in Blue bowling attack as he turned out to be the hero for the team in crunch situation.

Philip Salt (23 runs from 21 balls, 4 fours) and Ben Duckett (39 runs from 19 balls, 7 fours and 1 six) cemented a partnership of 62 runs and gave a fiery start to the Three Lions.

Ravi Bishnoi drew the first blood in the second inning as he removed Duckett in the 6th over.

Following the first wicket, India got an upper hand on the visitors and started to remove the top England batters from the crease.

Skipper Jos Buttler (2 runs from 3 balls) failed to shine during the run chase and succumbed in front of Bishnoi in the 8th over.

Harry Brook (51 runs from 26 balls, 5 fours and 2 sixes) was the only England player to put up a show in the second inning. His fiery knock gave hope to the visitors to clinch the game. However, the English youngster was removed from the crease in the 15th over by Varun Chakravarthy.

In the latter part of the game, Jamie Overton (19 runs from 15 balls, 1 four and 1 six) and Adil Rashid (10* runs from 6 balls, 1 six) tried to pose a scare by adding some crucial runs on the board but fell short against the Indian bowling attack.

Harshit Rana and Ravi Bishnoi led the Indian bowling attack as they picked up three wickets each in their respective spells. Varun Chakravarthy also bagged two wickets in his four-over spell while giving 28 runs. While Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel took one wicket each in their respective spells.

India will take on England in the final match of the series in Mumbai at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on February 02.

Earlier in the first inning, India had a sloppy start, however, it was the efforts of Hardik and Shivam which helped the Men in Blue to set a target of 182 runs for England on Friday.

After winning the toss, Jos Buttler-led England decided to bring Suryakumar Yadav’s India to bat first.

The Three Lions had a great start to the match with three quick dismissals at the score of 12. However, the Men in Blue turned around the match on a great note and gave a whopping target.

The opening partnership of Sanju Samson (1 run from 3 balls) and Abhishek Sharma (29 runs from 19 balls, 4 fours and 1 six) had a disappointing start to the game as they could only cement a partnership of 12 runs.

England seamer Saqib Mahmood was on fire in the second over as he removed India’s top three batters without giving a single run to the opponent.

Mahmood removed Samson, Tilak Varma (0 runs from 1 ball) and captain Suryakumar Yadav (0 runs from 4 balls) in the second over.

It was also Mahmood’s first over of the tour and he started it with a triple-wicket maiden. It was the first time this had happened in a men’s T20 international.

Following the early wickets, Abhishek and Rinku Singh (30 runs from 26 balls, 4 fours and 1 six) made a 45-run partnership to give India a kickstart in the match.

However, Adil Rashid removed Abhishek in the 8th over. While Rinku lost his wicket in the 11th over.

Hardik Pandya (53 runs from 30 balls, 4 fours and 4 sixes) displayed a stupendous performance and slammed his half-century in the 18th over.

Along with Hardik, Shivam Dube (53 runs from 34 balls, 7 fours and 2 sixes) also put up a show and smashed his fifty in the 19th over.

The duo of Hardik and Shivam took India to 181/9 in the first inning. Ravi Bishnoi remained unbeaten on the crease till the end.

Gautam Gambhir‘s stint as Team India’s head coach has not been a bed of roses, and neither has seemingly been his equation with his support staff. With Gambhir and his support staff – particularly Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate – under scrutiny from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), a report has revealed a dressing room dispute. The report states that bowling coach Morne Morkel was reprimanded by Gautam Gambhir during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour for arriving late to training.

As per the report by the Times of India, Morkel had reported late to training due to a personal meeting, but was reprimanded by Gambhir at the ground itself.

The report says that Morkel had been rather reserved during the crucial five-match Test tour, and that the onus is on the duo to sort the issue out and ensure it does not hamper the team.

“Gambhir is very strict about discipline. He reprimanded Morkel immediately at the ground. The board has been told that Morkel was a bit reserved during the tour. It’s up to these two to sort it out for the team to function smoothly,” a BCCI source reportedly told the newspaper.

Gambhir’s assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate are already being scrutinised by the BCCI, with the importance of their roles reportedly being questioned. The incident with Morkel does no good to the perceived harmony between Gambhir, his support staff and the team.

Earlier, it had also been reported that Gambhir and his support staff have a much more objective manner of communication towards players in the team, who had grown accustomed to the more empathetic style from the Rahul Dravid era.

It is important to note that Gambhir had himself singled out Morkel as the bowling coach for the team, having labelled him as the “fiercest bowler” he had faced during his playing career.

Gambhir also brought in Morkel as the bowling coach during the former’s time at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and the duo achieved two Indian Premier League (IPL) play-off finishes in their two years together.

Morkel and Gambhir’s relationship also stretches back to over a decade ago, with Morkel being bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) under Gambhir’s leadership ahead of IPL 2014, when the two won a title together.

Bowling coach Morne Morkel on Sunday accepted that Indian bowlers failed to execute plans against Australian century-maker Travis Head and exhorted them to tidy up their act with the old ball between overs 50 and 80. Head and fellow centurion Steve Smith helped the hosts to clobber 171 runs in 31 overs in the third session on the second day of the third Test here, adding to a wicketless post-lunch segment. Australia closed the day at a highly satisfying 405 for seven.

“First of all, we can say he’s (Head) in pretty good form. But I think for us with the ball, if you look at it from overs 50 to 80, even in the last game, is where we fall short, leaking (runs) a little bit. So, that’s one area I think we need to get better at,” Morkel said in the post-day press conference.

Morkel said the Indian bowlers could not sustain the momentum after taking three wickets in the morning session.

“First up with the ball this morning, we were pretty good, at 3 for 70, but took nothing away from two world-class players, Smith we know, he’s a guy who also can bat long and score runs. They (Smith and Head) put a partnership there and put us under pressure with a softer ball.

“It’s definitely an area that we need to focus on, maybe deeper in the innings. Yes, we’ve got the game plans, but are we executing those game plans with a softer ball from both ends? That’s something we need to get better at,” getting added.

The former South African quick explained the pre-set plan against Head, though it eventually fell flat on its back.

“Our plan going into this game was to bowl a little bit more over the wicket, a straighter line. We felt he played it quite nicely in Adelaide when we came around (the wicket). The margins to him are just so small and like I said, once he’s in, what is the best way for the team and for you (is) to maybe slow down the scoring rate because you know he’s going to be aggressive.

“The best way (of controlling Head) is bringing a little bit of control into the game and like I said, from over 50 with that softer ball, that’s where we’re leaking (runs). When Head comes on straight, the pitch kind of feels to (be favourable) a side,” he added.

“I’m not taking anything away from that, but it is a venue where getting used to bowling the right length and trusting that, it does take a bit of time.” Pacer Jasprit Bumrah singlehandedly shepherded India’s bowling with a fifer and Morkel did not read too much into the rather underwhelming efforts of other seamers Mohammed Siraj and luck-less Akash Deep.

“I thought Akash did really well, he bowled his heart out, same for Siraj. Siraj struggled, cramped, early on in the day, so, for him to still run in, close and bowl short balls and bowl that new ball spell for me, was great.” “Of course, you need somebody to back him (Bumrah) up, but I honestly can’t fault the effort from the other seamers today.

“Akash asked good questions with the new ball up front, asked good questions with the older ball and on another day could have easily picked up three wickets, but that’s the nature of this game,” he said.

Morkel backs Jadeja

Morkel supported left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who replaced R Ashwin for this Test, despite him having a bit of rough day.

Jadeja gave away 76 runs in 16 wicketless overs at the ‘Gabba’.

“Jaddu, coming into this match didn’t haven’t had a lot of game time, but he’s also a guy who has taken a lot of Test wickets. He’s a very experienced player and we just felt we wanted to bring in the left-arm option as something different, you know, sitting with Rohit.” “Jaddu is a guy that can also offer us a lot with the bat, unfortunately, today if you know it wasn’t his day as a spinner. But, yeah, Jaddu for me is a world-class player and you know he’ll work it out,” he added.

Morkel also defended the decision to bowl first after winning the toss, saying they were confident of controlling the Aussie batters.

“I just thought, looking at the surface, if we can get the ball in the right area we can take wickets. I thought controlling the run-rate for a big part of the game and staying patient was key and if we could have added one or two wickets, winning the toss and bowling first would have worked.

“But unfortunately we are on the other side of it and we just need to take the positives out of it. So, when we do get that opportunity tomorrow it’s about getting through the new ball because I honestly feel like it’s a bit of a new ball surface.

“For us it’s important now to put today aside and get our minds switched on and stay strong for a big batting innings,” he added.

The Indian cricket team finds itself on the backfoot in the ongoing pink-ball Test against Australia in Adelaide. The first two days’ play has put Australia in the driving seat, with India on the cusp of a series-levelling defeat. While India’s batting and bowling performance left plenty to be desired, the duel between Mohammed Siraj and Travis Head became on of the biggest talking points. While Siraj has courted criticism for his behaviour on the pitch, India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has played down the controversy.

Siraj gave a heated send-off to Head after the latter was dismissed on Day 2 of the day-night Test in Adelaide. However, the Australia star’s dismissal didn’t come before he had scored an emphatic ton, putting Australia on top in the fixture.

“Siraj is a type of bowler that gives his 100 per cent with the ball in hand. That is the character he brings to the bowling unit. He will always run in the whole day no matter what the scoreboard says,” Morkel told reporters during the press conference after the end of play on Day 2 when asked about the incident.

“I think in a big series like that, you will always have moments like these where it’s sort of, I wouldn’t say make or break. But when a session is on the line, you will have moments like that. You have two cricketers who play hard and tough, but I am pretty sure after the day’s play, they will be the best of mates,” he added.

DSP Siraj is literally every Indian

This Travis Head is a Headache #INDvsAUS #INDvAUS #AUSvIND #AUSvsIND #PinkBallTest #MohammedSiraj pic.twitter.com/aKf7STy9E2

— KOSH GUPTA (@koshgupta) December 7, 2024

Head was also asked about his duels with Siraj after the second day’s play. He admitted that the two went too far.

“It probably [went] a little bit far, that’s why I’m disappointed in the reaction I gave back, but I’m also going to stand up for myself. Like to think in our team we wouldn’t do that. [It’s] not the way I’d like to play the game and feel like my teammates are the same. If I see that, I probably call it out, which I did,” he said.

India really need to dig deep if they are to stand any chance of winning the second Test.

Australia’s Travis Head celebrates his century on day 2 of the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Adelaide on December 7, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

After a forgettable day for India at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday (December 7, 2024), bowling coach Morne Morkel turned up at the press conference for some fire-fighting. With a calm voice and a diplomat’s grace, the South African deftly handled the queries.

The first volley was about Mohammed Siraj’s needless send-off to centurion Travis Head and Morkel was ready: “We all know Siraj puts everything on the line, he is the kind of bowler, who will run in all day. There are some moments in a game. But I am sure off the field they will be the best of mates.”

Asked about India’s bowling in the second Test so far, Morkel offered his analysis: “Yesterday (Friday), the lines and lengths could have been better, there was some extra swing too. Thought they did well today (Saturday) morning before Travis Head played his innings. He put the bowlers under pressure but that’s the way he plays.”

And about Rishabh Pant’s approach at the batting crease, the bowling coach said: “Just like Head, this is the way Pant bats, that’s his approach. Always puts the bowlers under pressure. Seeing the scoreboard you won’t expect the kind of shot he played from the first ball but that is how he is.” Morkel also backed seamer Harshit Rana, who had a rough outing.

India bowling coach Morne Morkel has picked young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy as the player to “keep an eye” in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. The hype around the series between the two Test giants has been sumptuous as the series opener in Perth inches closer with each passing hour. While Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and skipper Rohit Sharma have been tipped to play the deciding role in the series, Morkel threw another name in the fray. “Definitely a guy (Nitish) to keep an eye on in the series,” Morkel said during a press conference in Perth before the opening Test on Friday.

The youngster announced himself to the world with a terrific all-rounded display in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

While featuring for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Nitish hammered 303 runs in 13 matches, averaging 33.67. He even chipped in with three wickets but his relentless power-hitting attribute stood out the most.

With just 23 first-class games under his belt, Nitish’s inclusion in the BGT series turned out to be a surprise for many.

It was evident that management is looking to fast-track Nitish to nurture him as the seam bowling option that India has desired most.

“He [Nitish Reddy] is one of the young guys. [There’s] all-round ability. He’ll be one guy who can hold one end up for us, especially for the first couple of days,” Morkel said. “[He’s a] wicket-to-wicket bowler. Any team in the world would want an all-rounder who can help pacers. It’ll be on Jasprit [Bumrah] how he uses them,” Morkel added.

If one looks at Nitish’s performance in red-ball cricket, he seems to be a bit undercooked to feature in one of the biggest Test series.

In those 23 appearances, Nitish has managed to put up 779 runs on the board, averaging just 21.05. With the ball, he has made more of an impact, scything 56 scalps with an average of 26.98.

In the recent unofficial Test between India A and Australia A, Nitish didn’t have an ideal outing, with 38 being his top score and a sole wicket across four innings.

Ahead of his side’s first Test against Australia at Perth, Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel gave an update on fitness of young batter Shubman Gill, saying that he is improving on “day-to-day basis” and a call on his selection will be taken on the morning of the match. The first Test between India and Australia will kickstart from Friday at Perth’s Optus Stadium. Both sides, placed at the top two spots of the ICC World Test Championship points tally will be aiming to make their chances for the final stronger. While India seeks to bounce back after a rare, but humiliating home setback against New Zealand, Australia would be aiming to avoid a hat-trick of series losses to India at home.

Gill’s injury is one of the biggest talking points ahead of the match. Earlier on Saturday, Gill sustained a left-hand injury while fielding in the slips and did not return on the second day of the intra-squad match.

Speaking about Gill in the pre-match presser, Morkel said, “Shubman is improving on a day-by-day basis. We will take a call on the morning of the Test. He played well in the match simulation during the build-up, so fingers crossed.”

Gill has been in fine form this season, having made 806 runs in 10 matches, 19 innings, averaging above 47. He has scored three centuries and fifties and his best score is 119*

Batting at number three, Gill has scored 926 runs in 14 matches, averaging 42.09, with three centuries and fifties in 25 innings.

Morkel also said that a close eye is also being kept on pace veteran Mohammed Shami, who recently recovered from an ankle injury and made a triumphant return to sport after an year, taking seven wickets in his side Bengal’s Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh.

“We are keeping a close eye on Shami. He has been out for a year. For us, it is a massive win that he is back playing. How we can give him the best support to find his feet again? Working closely with the people back home. He is a world-class bowler,” he added.

Shami on Monday was named in the Bengal squad for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, a top domestic T20 competition.

If included in the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Shami’s experience would be invaluable, particularly given India’s inexperienced pace attack. The bowling line-up features Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and promising talents such as Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Akash Deep.

After the series opener in Perth on November 22, the second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10.

Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne’s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series’ penultimate stage.

The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.

India’s squad for Border-Gavaskar Series: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.

Australia squad for the first Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.