Lucknow: India bowling coach Morne Morkel emphasized the potential growth of young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as part of the Indian squad, ahead of the upcoming five-match T20I series against West Indies. This series is set to commence on October 6 in Lucknow. Morkel highlighted that Sooryavanshi's presence in the squad, even without regular game time, will be beneficial for his development.

According to International Cricket Council: Morkel, speaking at the pre-series press conference, remarked on the advantages of Sooryavanshi spending time alongside high-quality players. "The more time he spends in this environment with the quality players, the more time he trains at this standard, will only be great for his cricket," Morkel stated. He further added that even if Sooryavanshi does not play, the experience of being with experienced players in various settings will be crucial for his growth.

Sooryavanshi's recent performance at the Asian Games, where he scored 53 runs in two matches while opening with Abhishek Sharma, was noted. However, Morkel did not confirm if this pairing will continue. "That's the combination they felt for them at the Asian Games. We'll work out tonight what is the best combination for us going into this series," he mentioned.

Morkel also discussed the team's strategy post-Asian Games, taking into account the players' conditions after travel. "We'll all see how everybody's feeling after jet lag, after travelling and then from there, make a plan," he explained. Additionally, he expects Gautam Gambhir to rotate the team, emphasizing the importance of selecting the best playing XI for success in the upcoming World Cup.

India's recent success, including a 2-1 ODI series win against West Indies and a gold medal at the Asian Games, sets a positive tone for the T20I series. The matches are scheduled as follows: October 6 in Lucknow, October 9 in Ranchi, October 11 in Indore, October 14 in Hyderabad, and October 17 in Bengaluru.