In a recent development coming in, former South Africa speedster Morne Morkel has been announced as the new bowling coach of the Indian cricket team.   

The 39-year-old is the latest and the final addition to new coach Gautam Gambhir's support staff, which includes Ryan ten Doeschate and Abhishek Nayar as assistant coaches and T Dilip as fielding mentor. 

Morne Morkel, whose contract reportedly starts from September 1, will now take over the responsibilities from Sairaj Bahutule, who was serving as the interim bowling coach for the recently-concluded six-match white-ball series against Sri Lanka. 

The South African's first assignment will be the upcoming home series against Bangladesh, which starts on September 19, when the neighbours visit India for two Tests and three T20Is.  

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Morne Morkel and Gautam Gambhir have previously worked together 

Notably, Morkel and head coach Gautam Gambhir have a history of successful collaboration, dating back to their time together at the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) where they played together for three seasons. Gambhir later also brought Morkel on board at the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) when he served as the mentor for the franchise.

Besides LSG, Morne Morkel has also served as the bowling coach for the Pakistan cricket team and was a part of the Men in Green's coaching setup during the 2023 ODI World Cup. 

Morkel is highly experienced, having enjoyed an illustrious career with the South African national team. He played in 86 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20Is, taking 309, 188, and 47 wickets, respectively. Alongside Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander, Morkel was part of a formidable bowling attack that consistently challenged and dominated batters worldwide in all formats of the game.

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