Varun is a match-winner for us – Morne Morkel ahead of India's T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final
As India gear up for the England challenge in the semi-final of the 2026 T20 World Cup, one of the major talking points ahead of the game is how the Men in Blue set up their bowling department. With Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah leading the fast-bowling unit, things are fairly sorted on that front. However, India’s spinners will be closely scrutinized based on Varun Chakaravarthy's relatively moderate numbers from the Super Eights.
Despite Varun conceding 122 runs in 12 overs and claiming only three wickets, India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, believes this shouldn’t be a problem for the spinner. Talking in the pre-match press conference, Morkel opened up on why there is no reason for Varun to fret ahead of the game.
Morkel said, “I keep telling Varun that with the skill and variation he has got, he has got the ability to take a wicket almost every ball. If he goes for a boundary and the ball is not executed as well as possible, for him it's just about moving on to the next one and committing to the next ball. He is a highly skilled guy who I hard to pick."
He further added, “For Varun, it's just about getting that confidence with the ball and getting his speeds, his length, and his control right, and trying not to overthink it. To his credit, he wants to be a big-match performer for the team, so he puts a little bit of pressure on himself. But he is a match-winner for us."
Morkel also shed some light on Shivam Dube’s form of late. Dube went for quite a few runs in the last two games but he was handy with the bat. Against West Indies, a couple of crucial boundaries from Dube saw India winning the game without breaking a sweat.
Explaining Dube’s form, Varun said, “I don't think it's a lot of bowling form. Shivam is also a guy who knows the game pretty well. Our execution wasn't as great [against Zimbabwe], and maybe the thinking behind bowling a certain ball could have been better. Shivam is always a guy who is potentially going to give us an over or two.”
Morkel concluded by saying, “The most important thing for Shivam is to make smart decisions with the ball. That's one area we would like to improve with him sometimes. Let's be honest - teams are going to go after him and he is going to be the guy who is put under pressure. But that also gives us opportunities. So if we can get that thinking process with the ball in hand a little better, it would be good."
