India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has said there are no concerns within the team over Abhishek Sharma’s miserable run at the T20 World Cup 2026. Abhishek has collected five ducks in his last seven outings, including three on the bounce in the ongoing 20-team event. However, Morkel remained confident in his ability to make a comeback.
“There is absolutely no discussion about that in our team group,” bowling coach Morne Morkel said ahead of India’s Super 8 match against South Africa. “Abhishek is a world-class player. Luckily there were guys who stepped up while Abhishek clearly didn’t score the points he would have liked. But we are going through a very important phase of the World Cup now and I am pretty sure he will deliver.”
“Not so much just for the team, but also for all the viewers watching the match because it’s entertaining and we like to see that. So yeah, I’m pretty sure [he’ll turn it around]he hits the ball well into the net. It’s just a matter of getting that start and getting his innings going.”
Apart from Abhishek’s form, one of the other major areas of concern for the Indian team has been its poor fielding. Morkel provided insight into that and admitted that the team is working hard to improve that part of their game. India dropped nine catches in the group stages of the tournament and were the second-worst team in that regard, after Ireland.
“One thing we’re working hard on is our fielding. We know the importance of the catches, where we can close the angles to stop the twos, to stop any boundaries. But catching is definitely going to play a big role now in the business end of the tournament.”
“Unfortunately, no catch is an easy catch, and the guys are putting in the yards and catching a lot of balls. But that’s certainly one of our main focuses: to really go for that 50-50, because we know how that can swing and break the momentum of an at-bat,”
Asked about the team combination for the South Africa match in Ahmedabad, Morkel felt the Indian attack could have a different look on Sunday.
“Yes, we are certainly discussing options in terms of how we are going to approach our bowling innings against different teams. I think it is important to stay awake and continue to look for ways where we can strike better and where we can have guys who attack specific batters.”
Morkel also praised Shivam Dube and his growth as an all-rounder.
With Shivam, I think every bowler likes confidence. You want to feel the support. This journey started almost over a year ago when we gave him the responsibility of bowling for us in Dubai (in the Asia Cup) and bowling the first over. I think once you feel that environment, you feel like you’re supported first and foremost by the captain, the coach and the staff.
“From there, life becomes a bit easier. You don’t have to try to prove yourself. You don’t have to try too hard. He has a lot of skill with the ball, with variations. When I catch him, he hits quite hard with the glove. For him, it was just a matter of building confidence and brushing up on when to use his variations. I think he understands the conditions very well. He can read the conditions very well. As a power hitter himself, he will figure out what is the most difficult and heaviest ball to bowl.
“I think you have that sense of the game and just give him the support and say, ‘Listen, if you go for the boundary, that’s OK. You’ve got a potential man who can pick up that wicket quickly.’ He can give us control with the ball when it comes to his execution. It’s very good. We slowly developed that and gave him confidence. There were times when I saw him walk off the field disappointed because he didn’t have a bowl.”
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