Gautam Gambhir has reportedly requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to appoint Morne Morkel as the bowling coach of the national team. According to a report from Cricbuzz, Gambhir is keen on having former South African speedster Morne Morkel as the bowling coach, taking over the reins from Paras Mhambrey. Morkel has a decent amount of coaching experience, having coached the Pakistan team during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. He decided to quit the job months before his contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was set to expire.

The report confirms that there have been some discussions with Morkel, who is currently settled in Australia. Gambhir and Morkel share a good working relationship, having previously worked together as a part of Lucknow Super Giants' support staff. Gambhir served as the mentor for two years before moving to Kolkata Knight Riders but the South African continued at the KL Rahul-led franchise. Morkel retired from the game in 2018 after taking 309, 188, and 47 wickets from 86 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20Is, respectively. 

Several names have been linked to the bowling coach position, including former India cricketers Lakshmipathy Balaji and Vinay Kumar. Reports have also suggested that the BCCI is considering the legendary Zaheer Khan for the role. While zeroing in on Morkel, one of the considerations is his young family and the extensive travel required for the role. He lives in the plush Seaforth suburb in northern Sydney with his wife Roz Kelly, a sports presenter on Channel 9, and two children. The upcoming tour of Sri Lanka which will include three T20Is and as many as ODIs will be the first assignment for Gautam Gambhir as the new Indian head coach. He took over the office as the successor of Rahul Dravid who ended his tenure after the historic triumph in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024