1

Morne Morkel praised the stars of the Indian cricket team

New Delhi: Indian cricket team’s bowling coach Morne Morkel believes that if Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma maintain their fitness and mental strength, they can remain a part of the team till the 2027 ODI World Cup. Both players have already retired from Test and T20I cricket, but will play in the upcoming ODI series against South Africa.

Morkel especially praised Virat and Rohit.

Morkel said in a press conference that having experienced players like Virat and Rohit is a significant advantage for the team. He said that both of these players are of high quality and as long as they are willing to work hard and maintain fitness, their chances of playing will remain. He said that experience is something for which there is no substitute. These players have won many big tournaments and know what type of competition to play. According to Morkel, the 2027 World Cup is still far away, but it is important to be mentally and physically prepared.

Virat-Rohit gave me sleepless nights while bowling

Referring to his playing career, Morkel said that bowling against these two batsmen was a big challenge. “I have played many matches against him and whenever I bowled to him, I used to have sleepless nights,” he said. They believe that the presence of these players increases the strength of the Indian team.

South Africa’s enthusiasm challenging for the Indian team

Morkel said that South Africa is coming off a recent Test series win and their confidence has increased a lot. He said that playing with colorful clothes and white ball is a different experience. At this point, South Africa have good momentum and a confident Protea team could pose a threat. India needs to make a good start in the next week or two.

ODI series is not just preparation for T20 World Cup

Morkel rejected the notion that this ODI series is just part of the preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup. He says that whenever a player wears an Indian jersey, he represents his country and millions of fans. He said that the team’s focus is on bringing back the momentum after two recent disappointing performances. The return of Rohit and Virat is encouraging for all the players. When asked about KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant being included in the playing XI together, Morkel said that he would not comment on selection matters.