Morkel backs Mayank, Prince Yadav to grow as India face West Indies in T20I series

India’s bowling attack will face a fresh challenge when the five-match T20I series against West Indies begins on Tuesday, with Jasprit Bumrah absent and batting-friendly conditions expected to test the team’s young pace options.

India bowling coach Morne Morkel believes the series will provide an important opportunity for fast bowlers Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav to continue developing as they gain experience at the international level.

“They are both young and are still learning their trade,” Morkel said. “Sometimes the challenge is that you have them for a small window of time and then they go away. Although we keep in touch and stay connected, it is hard to keep your personal touch as a bowling coach on them.”

Morkel added that the coaching staff would look to improve their work with the young pacers in the future.

“I am excited to see how they go with this opportunity,” he said.

Mayank looks to build on experience

Tuesday will mark two years since Mayank Yadav made his India debut. However, injuries have restricted the express pacer to just five additional T20I appearances during that period.

After returning from injury, Mayank showed encouraging signs during India’s T20I series in Zimbabwe earlier this year. Besides his raw pace, the 22-year-old has also worked on developing a slower delivery to add another dimension to his bowling.

His variations were evident during the IPL, where he used a slower ball to outfox experienced batter Rohit Sharma.

Morkel said Mayank’s ability to overcome setbacks and return to the international setup highlighted his attitude.

“When you look at Mayank, immediately what comes to mind is his pace, his X-factor,” Morkel said. “For a young player to get through that and then again find himself in a situation to play for India just shows attitude.”

Prince Yadav's rapid rise

Prince Yadav has enjoyed a much quicker rise into the Indian team following an impressive IPL 2026 campaign.

The young seamer impressed with his ability to swing the ball both ways, bowl effective short deliveries and consistently land yorkers. His dismissal of Virat Kohli during the IPL further underlined his ability to challenge top-class batters.

Prince has since made six T20I and three ODI appearances for India.

Morkel, however, admitted that the coaching staff has not had enough continuous time with either young bowler because of India's busy international schedule and split tours.

“For me, Prince was a net bowler in the IPL a couple of years ago and is now playing for India,” Morkel said. “At the end of the day, you want guys in a squad or playing for India who have fantastic attitudes, who are keen to keep working hard, because those guys will deliver for the team.”

Dube and Reddy provide extra bowling options

India are also exploring additional four-over bowling options, with Shivam Dube and Nitish Kumar Reddy among the players who could be called upon to contribute with the ball.

Morkel said conditions at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium, where the boundaries are relatively large, could increase the value of part-time seamers.

“You never know, in certain conditions, the ball might grip a little bit more and it might suit one guy, and then they will become four-over bowlers,” Morkel said.

He added that the team would assess pitch behaviour and boundary dimensions before deciding how to use its bowling resources.

“We have got a luxury here that it is quite a big field, so these guys come into the conversation a lot more,” he said.

Samson or Sooryavanshi to open?

India also face a selection decision at the top of the batting order, with Sanju Samson and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi competing to partner Abhishek Sharma.

Sooryavanshi opened during India’s recent tours of the UK and the Asian Games, while Samson was used as an opener during the T20I series against Afghanistan in Delhi and the one-off match against Japan.

Morkel suggested India could rotate the two players during the series.

“I am pretty sure Gautam will look to rotate them,” he said, referring to head coach Gautam Gambhir. “The guys just came back from the Asian Games, so we want to see how everybody is feeling after jet lag, after travelling, and then from there make the plan.”

Morkel urges Sooryavanshi to learn from senior players

Even if Sooryavanshi does not feature in the opening game, Morkel believes the youngster can benefit enormously simply by being around India's experienced players.

“If he is not getting that game time, he is still on a bus, in the dugout, in the hotel with guys with a lot of experience,” Morkel said.

The bowling coach said he regularly encourages young players to closely observe how senior batters prepare and approach different situations.

“I always challenge him. I say, ‘Watch what this guy is doing in training. How does he face his first 15 balls when the wicket is tough? What sort of game plan has he come up with?’”

Morkel said learning from the dressing room environment can be just as valuable as playing matches.

“For any young player, if he gets game time or if that game time is a little bit limited, it is still our job to make sure that these guys learn, they grow and they ask questions,” he said.

He also revealed that he asks Sooryavanshi to reflect on what he has learned after training sessions.

“I always ask him on the bus, ‘What is the one thing you have learned today? Tell me what you think about that guy’s batting.’ That makes him think, and I think next time he comes to the nets, the sort of things he will observe, he will adapt to his game.”

India eye fifth straight win in Lucknow

Sooryavanshi, Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, Naman Dhir and Nitish Kumar Reddy were the only players who took part in India’s optional training session on Monday.

India have an unbeaten T20I record at the Ekana Stadium and will look to make it five consecutive wins at the venue when they take on West Indies in the series opener on Tuesday.