Morne Morkel's Arrival In India Delayed Ahead Of Afghanistan T20Is. Here's Why

The arrival of India's bowling coach Morne Morkel in New Delhi has been delayed due to visa issues.© BCCI

The arrival of India's bowling coach Morne Morkel in New Delhi has been delayed due to visa issues, though he's expected to link up with the team very soon ahead of their T20Is against Afghanistan, sources told IANS. South Africa-based Morkel's absence during a preparatory session at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday did raise eyebrows, but sources said it was only due to visa-related issues. "Morne had visa issues, but he should be here soon once it's solved," sources told this news agency.

Meanwhile, it is understood that physiotherapist Kamlesh Jain is on his way out of the national setup, having remained absent from the squad's training session in the national capital. "About Kamlesh, it's yet to be known when he will be here," further said the sources.

Another source familiar with chatter around Chennai-based Jain's future with the Indian team said, "He will leave the team shortly."

Before joining the Indian team in June 2022, Jain previously served as the head physiotherapist after starting in an assistant role for three-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) from 2012 to 2022.

He also worked with Bengal senior men's domestic team from September 2011 to March 2017. Sources have also indicated that he could potentially return to working for an IPL franchise, including a possible reunion with KKR. With Jain set to vacate his position, the BCCI is expected to begin the process of finding his replacement shortly.

The expected exit of Jain comes after fielding coach T Dilip and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate ended their respective stints with the national side after the tour of England. Since then, ten Doeschate moved back to Knight Riders Sports as Head of Cricket Strategy, where he's in charge of player recruitment and squad planning, as well as serving in assistant coaching roles in the CPL, ILT20, and MLC.

In other squad developments, star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will join the Indian team late on Thursday evening after being cleared by the Centre of Excellence (CoE). Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, and young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who were involved in the recently concluded Duleep Trophy final in Chennai, will also arrive in the national capital later in the evening to link up with the rest of the squad.

The first T20I is slated to happen as per the original schedule on Sunday, after the DDCA stated via 'X' on Thursday that there was no change in the date. The clarification came after reports suggested that the opening game could be rescheduled owing to security arrangements for the high-profile BRICS summit in the national capital.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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