‘Make Him Think’: Morne Morkel Reveals How India Are Nurturing Sooryavanshi

‘Make him think’: Morne Morkel reveals how India are nurturing Sooryavanshi (Nisshin: Asian Games 2026 - India vs Pakistan Cricket Final)

Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee:  India bowling coach Morne Morkel believes young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can make significant strides simply by being around an experienced Indian dressing room, urging the teenager to observe, ask questions and absorb the habits of established players as India begin their five-match T20I series against West Indies here on Tuesday.

Two Lucknow-based IPL pacers, Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav, will also return to India’s T20I setup in the series opener at the Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, with the management pondering over its bowling combinations on a pitch that is expected to offer a mix of pace, bounce and spin.

But Morkel believes Sooryavanshi’s growth should not be judged by the amount of game time he gets, with the 14-year-old already reaping the benefits of being around senior players and watching them prepare and react to different situations.

“Yeah, I mean, we all know the talent of Ivan. I think the more time he spends in this environment with the quality players, the more time he trains at this standard, will only be great for his cricket. And if he's not getting that game time, he's still on a bus, in the dugout, in the hotel with guys with a lot of experience. And I think with him sharing that sort of dressing room and talking to guys, or just actually watching how the guys go through their processes and how they set up innings, will be key for him,” Morkel said in the pre-match press conference in Lucknow on Monday.

“I’m a big believer that sometimes, if you put guys in the right environment and they can ask the right questions and they can observe. So I always challenge them; I say, watch what this guy is doing in training, how does he face his first 15 balls? When the wicket is doing stuff, what sort of game plan does he come up with? And for any young player, if he gets game time or if that game time is a little limited, it’s still our job to make sure that these guys learn, they grow, and they ask questions.”

Morkel said he also encourages the young batter to reflect on what he has learnt from each training session. “I think that for me is a fantastic growth sort of mind map. I mean, I'm a fast bowler; I can't really talk too much about batting, but I always ask him on the bus, ' What's one thing you've learned today? Tell me, what did you think about that guy's batting? And that makes him think. And I think next time when he comes to nets, those sort of things he'll observe; he'll adapt to his game,” he added.

While Sooryavanshi’s role at the top could depend on India’s combination, Morkel expects the management to assess the players returning from the Asian Games before finalising the XI.

“I’m pretty sure Gautam will look to rotate. I mean, as I said, that is up to the selectors, and obviously the coach and the captain in terms of the playing 11, or which playing 11 will be the best to win a game for India on home soil. And that will always be the main focus,” Morkel said. “In terms of the starting 11, as I said, the guys just came back from the Asian Games, so we'll assess how everybody is feeling after jet lag, after travelling, and then from there make a plan.”

India enter the T20I leg after winning the preceding three-match ODI series 2-1, although the West Indies finished that contest on a high by taking the final game at New Chandigarh. India will also carry the confidence of their Asian Games campaign, where they won the men's T20 gold medal.

Morkel expects the transition between formats to provide a stern test, particularly with West Indies possessing a batting line-up capable of putting pressure on the bowling attack from the outset.

“Yeah, I think, you know, waiting for the spectators, it's going to be fantastic viewing. I think for both sides at the moment, the red flag or the problem might be, you know, our guys travelling back after the Asian Games. Some of the guys only arrived a couple of days ago, so jet lag, getting over the journey. But I think once we are up and running and we get the series going, we are all really looking forward to it,” Morkel added.

The immediate challenge for India will be adapting to a fresh format while also continuing to build their player pool, with the 2027 ODI World Cup already behind them and the next global tournament still some distance away.

“Look, the main goal always will be to win the games. I think this group of players have played some exceptional cricket over the last couple of years. The guys who got opportunities came in and, you know, they've done a brilliant job,” Morkel said. “Yes, it will be great for Indian cricket if we keep on growing that pool, keep on giving guys that experience of the taste of what it is to play in an Indian shirt. And also a nice opportunity for guys who were out of the loop for a while to come back.”

One such returnee is Mayank Yadav, whose comeback from injury adds another dimension to India’s pace attack. “You know, Mayank Yadav, he's back from injury, so look forward to seeing how he goes when he gets an opportunity. So I think it is sort of looking at the bigger picture, but also you want to win games for India. You want to give the guys who have done well so far to continue that, and yeah, we look forward to the series, and we'll take it as it comes.”

Mayank’s raw pace gives India an X-factor that is difficult to replicate, while Prince Yadav has taken a different route into the international setup after initially being a net bowler.

“I mean, if you look at Mayank, immediately that comes to mind is his pace, his X-factor. I think for me, Prince, where he was a net bowler a couple of years ago, he's now playing for India. That resilience, the hard work that he's put into his game to reach international stages, is admirable,” Morkel said. “For me, that shows that these guys are hardworking players. Mayank had a couple of setbacks with injury, back-to-back setbacks with that; for a young player to get through that, and then again to find themselves in the situation to play for India just shows character.”

Both pacers have a particularly strong connection with the venue, having represented Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, and their knowledge of the Ekana surface could prove useful for India.

The question, however, is whether India will lean heavily on that local knowledge. “Of course, you know, one aspect is obviously for them to share their knowledge, what they found playing here. But to be honest with you, I think for us it is about... we talk about that, but it's not to make that our main focus,” Morkel said.

“Like I said, the strength of this team moving forward will be how individuals can, at the moment, adapt to some of the conditions and how they can execute that. Of course, we'll look at all the players, we'll come up with plans, but I think that is the winning moment in white-ball cricket—is that decision under pressure as a bowler with a captain. What's the best decision you can make, and can you execute that?”

Execution could be especially important with the conditions on Pitch No. 5, the centre strip, being used for the contest. The pitch is a combination of red and black soil surface; Lucknow saw a lot of runs in IPL 2026 after being a little more bowler-friendly in the first part of the season.

There has been some rain around the city too, with both teams’ practice sessions affected on Monday, although no rain is forecast during match hours on Tuesday. There are a few showers expected during the day, but conditions should be clear when the match kicks off.

The Ekana wicket has been tricky to read over the years. The last T20I played here was against New Zealand in 2023, when India chased down 100 successfully, but that was before the surfaces were re-laid.

IPL 2026 was a tale of two halves for the venue. Bowlers had help in the initial half of the tournament with movement and bounce on the more bowler-friendly pitches, while in the second half the pitches flattened out quite a bit. Any moisture left from the recent rain could bring the seamers back into the contest early, while the surface is generally considered good for batting and can bring spinners into play as the ball gets older.

Morkel said India will not enter the match with a rigid pace-versus-spin blueprint. “Look, I don't think there is one sort of blueprint or thing we're gonna go with. We'll come up with the best solution for how we think we're going to win games. If it's extra pace, if it's extra spin, that is yet to be determined, but for me, it's always my sort of feel here in T20 or especially white-ball cricket; it's good wickets, so yeah, I think you get tested on your execution.”

That execution could become even more important against a West Indies side known for aggressive batting. Morkel expects both teams to have to read conditions quickly rather than rely solely on pre-match plans. “Yeah, look, I mean, I just walked past the square now; I haven't had a proper look at the wicket. We'll assess sort of the conditions as best as possible tonight. We understand that in this series it's going to be a high-scoring game. Your skills will be tested; execution, most importantly, will be tested,” he said.

“In a short turnaround, we'll try and plan as best as possible. But I think the key for both teams is how we can read the conditions and how you can come up with the best plans in that moment, and then, as I said, execution is going to be key.”

The size of the Ekana boundaries could also increase the value of having additional bowling options. “But I think purely on that, you need to see what the conditions are like, and from there you can make a play. But from my point of view, the more bowling options we can have on a night, as a captain, at times that can help,” Morkel said.

“So I think it's about always keeping these guys ready, and then from there reading the conditions, reading what the wicket is doing, boundary sizes. Obviously we've got a luxury here that it's quite a big field, so these guys come into the conversation a lot more.”

India could also have a selection call to make between Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav, with the latter returning to the T20I setup after last playing the format in February.

Morkel said Kuldeep’s confidence and rhythm have returned at the right time. “Look, I think Kuldeep spoke about it in the past after the ODI series that he feels he's bowling well again. And that is great news for us. As a bowler, sometimes we can struggle with our rhythm; it takes a little bit longer at times to find that, but for us, he's a massive match-winner, he's confident, he's bowling well.”

India could also have a selection call to make between Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav, with the latter returning to the T20I setup after last playing the format in February.

Article Source: IANS