Morne Morkel Leaves for Home After Father's Death; Return Status Remains Unclear: Report
2025-02-18 12:17:03 | 5 Views
India's bowling coach, Morne Morkel has reportedly returned to South Africa from Dubai on Monday following the passing of his father. The Indian team is currently in the UAE preparing for the Champions Trophy, which is set to commence on Wednesday, featuring a match between the host nation Pakistan and New Zealand. India is scheduled to play their opening match on Thursday against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium.
As reported by Dainik Jagran, the Indian squad in Dubai has been enveloped in sorrow as they prepare for the ICC tournament. Morkel's father has passed away, and although the former South African international participated in India's initial training session on Sunday at the ICC Academy, he was absent from the subsequent practice session. He is believed to have departed for South Africa on Monday, and it remains uncertain when he will rejoin the Indian team.
Morkel's absence places additional responsibility on the remaining coaching staff to prepare the bowlers for the tournament, especially with the team already missing injured pacer Jasprit Bumrah. The pace attack will depend on seasoned bowler Mohammed Shami, who has recently returned to international cricket after a lengthy absence and has gained valuable experience during the white-ball series against England. In terms of spin options, the team can rely on the experienced trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav.
India to have off day on Tuesday
Following a report from the Times of India, the Indian cricket team, after two days of intense training at the ICC Academy in Dubai, has decided to take a rest day on Tuesday, with plans to resume practice on Wednesday in preparation for their Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh.
India boasts a commanding record of 32 wins to 8 losses against Bangladesh in One Day Internationals. This statistic remains consistent at neutral venues, where India leads with an 8-2 record. Nevertheless, Bangladesh has triumphed in three of their last five encounters with India, including a significant victory in the Super Four stage of the 2023 Asia Cup held in Sri Lanka. Additionally, they managed to defeat India 2-1 in a three-match series on home soil in 2022.
Despite this, India enters the tournament and the upcoming match with momentum, having recently achieved a 3-0 series victory over England at home last week. The team has demonstrated several positive aspects, particularly with Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma returning to form.
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