'It starts now:' Morne Morkel sets India's World Cup tone ahead of WI series
toi
newspoint|26-09-2026
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel used the pre-series press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday to frame the three-match ODI series against West Indies as the opening move of a much bigger campaign, one that ends with the 2027 World Cup in South Africa. His message was simple: The standards India wants to carry into next year’s showpiece tournament cannot be switched on later.
“You can’t decide a month or a week before a World Cup that you’re going to step things up. It starts now, with this series against the West Indies. I want to see guys putting their hands up for the ball, wanting to create pressure and not protecting their own space,” Morkel said.
No player drew more questions than allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy , whose path to a full bowling workload, after a series of recurring injuries, remains one of India’s more delicate management projects. Morkel admitted that the challenge was turning instinct into something repeatable.
“He is a talented guy when it comes to bat, ball and field. He always wants to be the guy who creates opportunities, and having that mindset is fantastic. But the role we want him to play is about consistency and how well he can do the basics,” the former South African pacer explained.
With a relatively open stretch of a calendar ahead, Morkel reckoned the plan is to keep giving Reddy a well-defined job, as he builds towards competing properly for India’s allrounder’s spot.
With Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana working their way back from injuries, workload management remains a core issue for the coaching staff. Morkel said the medical team and coaches are mapping out individual plans for every bowler in a wider pool, with an eye on the next year’s World Cup.
“There is definitely a plan for every individual, and we will keep monitoring that, coming up with the best way forward to give the selectors the best group to pick from,” Morkel elaborated.
With Shubman Gill continuing as captain and Virat Kohli back after a break, Morkel was asked how India balances settled young leadership with a wealth of experience. He credited Gill’s captaincy while stressing the value of senior players as informal mentors around the squad.
“Shubman’s done an exceptional job leading the team. Different players feel more comfortable speaking to different senior guys, and we’re fortunate to have that experience in the group. The more we can create opportunities for those conversations, the better it is for us,” he added.
“Shubman’s done an exceptional job leading the team. Different players feel more comfortable speaking to different senior guys, and we’re fortunate to have that experience in the group. The more we can create opportunities for those conversations, the better it is for us,” he added.
“You can’t decide a month or a week before a World Cup that you’re going to step things up. It starts now, with this series against the West Indies. I want to see guys putting their hands up for the ball, wanting to create pressure and not protecting their own space,” Morkel said.
No player drew more questions than allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy , whose path to a full bowling workload, after a series of recurring injuries, remains one of India’s more delicate management projects. Morkel admitted that the challenge was turning instinct into something repeatable.
“He is a talented guy when it comes to bat, ball and field. He always wants to be the guy who creates opportunities, and having that mindset is fantastic. But the role we want him to play is about consistency and how well he can do the basics,” the former South African pacer explained.
With a relatively open stretch of a calendar ahead, Morkel reckoned the plan is to keep giving Reddy a well-defined job, as he builds towards competing properly for India’s allrounder’s spot.
With Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana working their way back from injuries, workload management remains a core issue for the coaching staff. Morkel said the medical team and coaches are mapping out individual plans for every bowler in a wider pool, with an eye on the next year’s World Cup.
“There is definitely a plan for every individual, and we will keep monitoring that, coming up with the best way forward to give the selectors the best group to pick from,” Morkel elaborated.
With Shubman Gill continuing as captain and Virat Kohli back after a break, Morkel was asked how India balances settled young leadership with a wealth of experience. He credited Gill’s captaincy while stressing the value of senior players as informal mentors around the squad.
“Shubman’s done an exceptional job leading the team. Different players feel more comfortable speaking to different senior guys, and we’re fortunate to have that experience in the group. The more we can create opportunities for those conversations, the better it is for us,” he added.
“Shubman’s done an exceptional job leading the team. Different players feel more comfortable speaking to different senior guys, and we’re fortunate to have that experience in the group. The more we can create opportunities for those conversations, the better it is for us,” he added.
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