India bowling coach Morne Morkel has asked Bhuvneshwar Kumar to stay calm, ignore outside pressure and focus on his own game as the experienced fast bowler tries to find his rhythm after returning to the T20I team following a four-year gap.Bhuvneshwar’s comeback has not gone as planned. The 36-year-old conceded 49 runs in the first T20I against New Zealand and 50 in the second, taking just one wicket across the two matches. His economy rate of 12.37 has been the highest among India’s bowlers in the series.With India trailing 0-2 in the five-match series, Morkel has backed the veteran pacer to improve as he gets more opportunities on the field.
‘Block the expectation factor out’
Morkel said Bhuvneshwar would naturally face expectations after returning to the international stage following four years away from the T20I side. He also pointed to the bowler’s strong performances in the IPL.“I’ve got a lot of sympathy for his return. There will be expectations after four years to come back. He has done exceptionally well in the IPL and bowled really well,” Morkel said on the eve of the third T20I.The bowling coach said preparing for international cricket was not easy, especially when a player had limited time to get ready before the series.“One challenge is to block the expectation factor out. Two, leading into selection, he trained for a month, but playing international cricket is a different beast where the margins are small. He had to come in with limited training because of the schedule to get himself ready.”Bhuvneshwar played an important role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s back-to-back IPL titles. He took 17 wickets in the 2025 season and followed that up with 28 wickets in 2026.
Morkel backs Bhuvneshwar to find his rhythm
Despite the expensive outings in the first two matches, Morkel believes Bhuvneshwar has the skills and experience needed to bounce back. He urged the bowler not to put himself under pressure to deliver immediately.“The skill and his experience, everything is there. But at the end of the day, we have to respect the game of cricket and you have to be able to allow him to just find his feet in some of the games.”Morkel said his message to Bhuvneshwar had been simple from the moment the pacer joined the squad.“And for me, that has been the message from the start when he joined the squad, don’t chase anything. Just be you.”He added that the bowler should focus on his game rather than worry about what others expected from him.“Yes, there will be expectations. But every game you’ll get better and every game you’ll find your rhythm. So let’s not think about any outside noises. Just be you and connect with that,” the South African added.
