"Limited games..."- India's bowling coach Morne Morkel reflects on Arshdeep Singh's absence in first two AUS vs IND T20Is

It was a baffling decision from the Indian management not to include their left-arm seamer, Arshdeep Singh, in the first couple of games of the five-match series against Australia down under. But he returned in the third fixture in Hobart and made an immediate impact with the ball. 

Arshdeep has already become India’s leading wicket-taker in the shortest format with 104 wickets, but he warms the benches too often. Their bowling coach, Morne Morkel, ahead of the fourth fixture in Gold Coast, reflected that limited games were going into the next T20 World Cup, for which they want different players to react under pressure.

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“There will always be disappointment in terms of players and selection, but that is something at times that, as a player, is uncontrollable. For us, from our side, we just keep on asking them to work hard, try hard, and be ready for when they do get the opportunity. There are limited games now leading into the T20 World Cup, so we need to see how the players can react in certain situations under pressure.” Morkel expressed in the pre-match press conference.

Morne Morkel points out limited games before T20 World Cup 2026 to give chances to different players

Morkel reckoned that before the home World Cup, they would try to frame different combinations, where the batting order would also juggle a few times in the ongoing T20I series against Australia.

“You need to have options available. I think every team, if you look across the world, is playing around with options. Yes, we will probably know one or two combinations that we set, but I think in this game you need to be adaptable. You need to know where certain players can give you options in different roles.” The former South Africa pacer expressed.

“And I think with a World Cup around the corner, you do not want to leave any stones unturned. You do not want to sit two years down the line and say, if only we tried that, or give this combination a bit more time, it would have developed.” India’s bowling coach informed.