Morkel shares how young India batter can continue his growth
The India bowling coach feels Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will learn a lot from being part of India's squad.
India bowling coach Morne Morkel says Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will grow by being part of the squad, whether or not he gets regular game time, ahead of the five-match T20I series against West Indies, which starts on 6 October in Lucknow.
Speaking at the pre-series press conference, Morkel said time spent alongside high-quality players will help the batter's development.
"We all know the talent of Vaibhav. I think the more time he spends in this environment with the quality players, the more time he trains at this standard, will only be great for his cricket," Morkel said.
"And if he's not getting that game time, he's still on a bus, in the dugout, in the hotel with guys with a lot of experience. And I think with him sharing that sort of dressing room and talking through guys, just actually watching how the guys go through their processes and how they set up innings will be key for him," he added.
Sooryavanshi scored 53 runs in 2 matches at the Asian Games while opening the batting with Abhishek Sharma, but Morkel did not confirm whether the pairing would continue.
"That's the combination (Abhishek and Sooryavanshi at the top) they felt for them at the Asian Games. We'll work out tonight what is the best combination for us going into this series. Will they adapt, will they float, will they make any changes, I quite honestly can't give that answer now," he said.
He added that selection will depend on how players feel after returning from the tournament.
"In terms of the starting XI, we just came back from the Asian Games. So we'll all see how everybody's feeling after jet lag, after travelling and then from there, make a plan."
Morkel also expects Gautam Gambhir to rotate the side.
"I'm pretty sure Gautam will look to rotate. That is up to the selectors and the coach and the captain in terms of the playing XI, or which playing XI will be the best to win a game for India in our next World Cup. And that has always been the main focus."
India defeated West Indies 2-1 in the ODI series, and now their attention will shift to the T20I format.
Shreyas Iyer-led side have been in fine form of late, having won the gold medal in the Asian Games after having swept the series against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.
India v West Indies T20I series
- 6 October: First T20I, Lucknow
- 9 October: Second T20I, Ranchi
- 11 October: Third T20I, Indore
- 14 October: Fourth T20I, Hyderabad
- 17 October: Fifth T20I, Bengaluru