India suffered a setback ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as bowling coach Morne Morkel left the team in Dubai and returned home due to personal reasons.
While the exact cause remains unconfirmed, speculation suggests the passing of his father.
Morkel’s departure could disrupt India's bowling preparations, with Mohammed Shami struggling for form and Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana lacking experience in ODIs.
Morkel, who has served as India's bowling coach since last August, arrived in the UAE with the Indian team on 15 February and attended the training session at the ICC Academy on 16 February.
However, he was absent from the session on 17 February before reportedly flying back to South Africa.
There is no clarity on whether he will return for the tournament.
India’s bowling concerns
Morkel’s absence adds to India's concerns, as Jasprit Bumrah is not part of the squad and Shami has been struggling with form.
With India set to face Bangladesh on 20 February, the team, led by Rohit Sharma, is expected to train on 19 February after a scheduled break.
India’s squad for Champions Trophy 2025
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy.
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