NEW DELHI: Former South African fast bowler Morne Morkel is expected to join Gautam Gambhir‘s rank of coaches as their new bowling coach. According to a report from Cricbuzz, Morkel will begin his term in the upcoming home series against Bangladesh in September.
The appointment, made under head coach Gautam Gambhir, comes at a crucial juncture as the Indian cricket team prepares for a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka.
Key players of the ODI team, led by captain Rohit Sharma, have already reached Colombo, marking the start of their campaign.
Sharma’s arrival in Sri Lanka, following a trip from the United States, alongside Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Kuldeep Yadav, and the newly included Harshit Rana, has been confirmed.
These players are reported to have settled in at the ITC Ratnadipa hotel and are scheduled for a net session at the stadium, overseen by assistant coach Abhishek Nayar.
Following the conclusion of the T20I series against Sri Lanka in Pallekele on July 30, where India have already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead, the rest of the squad will join the ODI team.
The ODI series is set to commence on August 2 at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, with subsequent matches on August 4 and 7.
The report suggests that Morkel’s integration into the coaching staff is part of an ongoing assessment by Gambhir and the management to refine the team’s coaching framework ahead of future competitions.
The strategic move, however, casts uncertainty on the position of the interim bowling coach, Sairaj Bahutule, given Morkel’s specialization in fast bowling.
It is also understood that the decision on whether to maintain a dedicated spin bowling coach to work alongside Morkel remains pending.
Should Bahutule continue in his role, the coaching staff would include two assistant coaches, Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, a bowling coach (Morkel), a fielding coach (T Dilip), and potentially a spin bowling coach, under the direction of head coach Gambhir.





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