New Delhi: India Bowling Coach Morne Morkel It has been made clear that the team management will continue to support openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek SharmaThis comes despite growing calls for 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his international debut.Sooryavanshi has been one of the hottest topics ever since he was selected in India’s T20I squad against Ireland and England after a stellar performance in the IPL season. In the ongoing tour of England, Abhishek hit a half-century and 49 in the last three innings while Samson struggled, scoring scores of 5, 0 and 1.Even so, Morkel said the team believes in showing confidence in players who have already contributed for India.“I think we just have to respect the fact that we have the top batsman, or we have the top batsman in T20 cricket, Abhishek Sharma. You know, Sanju is a World Cup player,” Morkel said on the eve of the second T20I against England.“He (Samson) has had a great IPL run. So, I think it’s fair as a coaching staff to show confidence and support your players. Yes, it’s exciting to have a youngster knocking on the door. But I think it’s a good sign not just for those two top players but for the rest of the team to show that we have your back,” he said.
“We don’t want players to lose their positions”
Morkel said choosing a starting lineup is about more than just bringing in a new player. He emphasized that the coaching staff also wants to avoid changing players’ batting positions.“On a day-to-day basis, it’s about putting performance on the board. That’s key. But we also don’t want to overthink it and take other players out.” So, I think it’s not as simple as, okay, let’s play (Sooryavanshi).“It’s a matter of backing some of the guys who have won the World Cup, who have done so well for you in difficult situations, and then build from there and see how we can build and make our top order as good as possible in these conditions,” he explained.
“When he gets the chance, he’ll be ready.”
While Morkel did not reveal when Suryavansh would make his debut for India, he praised the teenager for quickly integrating into the dressing room.He also said that although the 15-year-old young man left a deep impression on everyone in training.“I think he’s doing very, very well. You know, I think if you follow kids on Instagram, there’s been a lot of pictures being posted, especially of him. As a 15-year-old, on the international stage, with the Nets, it can be intimidating.”“But, I think just the couple of nets that we had were pretty impressive. And, you know, we were all excited to see him perform. When he gets his chance, I’m pretty sure he’ll be ready. But in terms of getting into the team and integrating into the team, it’s been going really well,” he said.
Morkel praises Prince Yadav
The former South Africa fast bowler also praised young pacer Prince Yadav, who has taken six wickets in his first three international matches.Morkel revealed that he worked with Prince during his days with the Lucknow Supergiants and noticed his talent even then.“I was lucky enough to work with Prince during his time with the Lucknow Supergiants. Prince was then a net bowler, where he was already marked as a man of great skill. The way he kept his composure blew me away.“I think he is also someone who is always looking for ways to improve his game. But at the end of the day, it comes down to execution. If we talk about death bowling and the middle overs, how he reads the game, what decisions he takes under pressure and then executing those decisions, for me, is great to see,” he pointed out.
Harshit Rana impresses after injury
Morkel also praised fast bowler Harshit Rana, saying it was encouraging to see his intensity after returning to action after an injury layoff.With the second T20I against England set to take place at Old Trafford, the Indian team management seems ready to continue backing experienced players while keeping an eye on exciting youngsters like Sooryavanshi for future opportunities.
