Morkel weighs on India's big strength ahead of T20 World Cup

The bowling coach shed light on the performances of key players and how they impact the team combination for the marquee tournament.

India bowling coach Morne Morkel is bullish of the distinct array of qualities that various members of the T20I team possess as they gear up to defend their crown at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR ICC MEN'S T20 WORLD CUP 2026!

India, who are also the co-hosts of the tournament along with Sri Lanka, have won all nine bilateral series and tournaments - including last year's Asia Cup. Morkel pinpointed the reason behind the team's dominance in this format.

“With the 11 that we can pick on matchday, we’ve got 11 match winners," Morkel told reporters ahead of the fourth T20I against New Zealand.

"Everybody has got a certain ‘X’ factor about them. They know that there’s no guarantee of being the 11. It’s about who’s suited best for the conditions and how we can help the team win at the end of the day."

While the focus has been on India's batters, who have been firing on all cylinders in recent outings, Morkel also turned the attention towards India's bowling depth.

“It’s a luxury that we have a handful of bowlers that can bowl in every situation. Part of the thinking for us leading into the World Cup was to look at different sorts of combinations. We don’t want teams to have set plans against us," he added.

Adding more flexibility to the Indian team ahead of the World Cup is Hardik Pandya, who has found great rhythm in the recent series against New Zealand and South Africa, coming on the back of an injury.

ALL SQUADS NAMED FOR MEN'S T20 WORLD CUP 2026

The former Proteas all-rounder was full of praise for Pandya and his resilience to battle his way into form ahead of the big tournament.

Every Hardik Pandya wicket at T20WC 2024

A look back at all his wickets in the tournament for India all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

“Hardik is again in the series with the ball for me, showing his class,” Morkel said.

“He’s looking extremely fit, and his body is in good shape at the moment, which is a massive bonus for us. Unfortunately, so far with the way we’ve been batting, he’s sort of lacked that time in the middle.

"But I think we all saw at the game, the last match — that afterwards he went down to the nets and he practised for hours. That was great to see. He’s really focused to put in a great performance for the team.

"I think with everything that he’s done so far, he’s been very professional, he’s been world-class. Just to have his experience in the changing room is a massive plus point, bonus for us,” he added.

Hardik Pandya takes a trip down memory lane to his spell in the T20WC 2024 Final

A heavy competition for places in the Indian squad means there is little room for a drop in performance. With questions around Sanju Samson's form after a few below-par performances in the last few games, Morkel backed the wicketkeeper-batter to come good before the World Cup.

"Sanju is one knock away from getting that confidence, getting that form back. For us, building up to the World Cup it's important for the guys to find that peak performance at the right time. He's training well, he's hitting the ball very well," Morkel said.

"So, I think it's just a matter of time for him to get his foot on the board. We've got a couple of games now before the start of the World Cup, and I have no doubt that Sanju will find his form," Morkel added.

India play New Zealand in the fourth T20I in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday and with the team already leading the five-match series 3-0, their attention will turn to the T20 World Cup.

The co-hosts are placed in Group A along with Pakistan, Namibia, Netherlands and the USA, against whom they will begin their campaign in Mumbai on February 7.