Morne Morkel has began his duties as the bowling coach of the India Men’s Team ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh.
The former Proteas star steps into roles previously held by Paras Mhambrey, who served as the bowling coach under Rahul Dravid’s leadership, and Sairaj Bahutule, who acted as interim.
The Proteas stalwart will be a part of Gautam Gambhir’s newly formed coaching staff, beginning with the series against Bangladesh.
Morkel, who had a stellar 12-year career with South Africa from 2006 to 2018, played in 247 international matches across all formats, amassing an impressive 544 wickets.
Gambhir and Morkel have previously worked together for two years in the IPL with Lucknow Super Giants in 2022 and 2023. Prior to that, the duo played together at Kolkata Knight Riders when Gambhir was the captain.
Morkel also brings valuable international experience to the table, having recently served as the bowling coach for Pakistan, including during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
The upcoming home series against Bangladesh will be the first assignment for Morkel as India’s bowling coach. India will welcome the Tigers for a two-match Test series followed by three T20Is.
The Test series is a crucial part of the World Test Championship cycle, where India currently lead the standings with a point percentage of 68.52, while Bangladesh are in the fourth place after a fantastic campaign against Pakistan.
The two-match Test series against Bangladesh begins on 19 September and will be followed by a three-match T20I series, starting 6 October.
