Former South African fast bowling legend Morne Morkel has been appointed as the new bowling coach for the Indian cricket team, according to a statement made by BCCI secretary Jay Shah to the news agency PTI. This move finalizes the preferred coaching staff of newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Morkel, who has previously served as the bowling coach for Lucknow SuperGiants in the IPL and Durban’s SuperGiants in the SA20, as well as with the Pakistan men’s cricket team, will join Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate in the Indian team’s coaching setup led by Gambhir.
As reported by PTI, Morkel’s appointment was confirmed by the BCCI secretary, with his term beginning on September 1. During the Indian team’s recent tour of Sri Lanka, Sairaj Bahutule served as the interim bowling coach for six white-ball games. Meanwhile, Nayar and Ten Doeschate were both officially appointed as assistant coaches under Gambhir’s leadership. 
Reunion with Gambhir
Morkel is set to reunite with Gambhir, having previously worked alongside him during their time at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) when Gambhir was captain, and more recently as a bowling coach and mentor at Lucknow SuperGiants in IPL 2023. Gambhir later returned to KKR and guided them to their third IPL title in 2024.
Throughout his illustrious international career, Morkel represented South Africa in 247 matches, claiming 309 wickets in Tests, 188 in ODIs, and 47 in T20Is. Known for forming a formidable pace attack alongside Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander, Morkel transitioned into coaching after retirement. He coached the Pakistan team during last year’s ODI World Cup in India and worked with both the IPL and SA20 SuperGiants franchises.
The 39-year-old was the top candidate for the role, having made the shortlist along with former India fast bowler R Vinay Kumar. He had served as Pakistan’s bowling coach until December last year. Gambhir, who had collaborated with Morkel during their time with the Lucknow SuperGiants in the IPL and the Durban SuperGiants in the SA20, recommended him for the position.
Future Challenges and Expectations for Morkel
One of Morkel’s initial tasks will be to maintain the strength of India’s fast bowling reserves as the team faces five home Tests between September and November, followed by a tour of Australia, where they will play a five-Test series for the first time since 1992. It remains uncertain whether Sairaj Bahutule, who stepped in as bowling coach during the Sri Lanka tour, will continue in the coaching setup. The team management is reportedly looking to build a pool of spinners beyond R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav, which could see Bahutule retained as a spin consultant, even if not in a permanent capacity.
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