Morne Morkel forced to return home for father's funeral; Champions Trophy participation in question: Report

India bowling coach Morne Morkel has returned home from Dubai on Monday ahead of the start of the Champions Trophy following the passing of his father. The Indian team, who are in the UAE for their Champions Trophy campaign, will kick off their tournament on Thursday against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium. The tournament itself will begin on Wednesday, with host nation Pakistan facing off against New Zealand.

According to a report in Dainik Jagran, the Indian team in Dubai was struck by grief during their preparations for the ICC tournament. Morkel's father passed away. The former South African international attended India's first training session on Sunday at the ICC Academy but was not seen on the second day of practice. He reportedly left Dubai for South Africa on Monday. It is yet not known when Morkel will rejoin the Indian camp.

Morkel's absence will put pressure on the remaining members of the Indian coaching staff to get the bowlers ready for the tournament, with the team already without injured Jasprit Bumrah. The pace department will rely on veteran bowler Mohammed Shami, who did get ample practice through the white-ball series against England at home upon his prolonged return to the international fold. Spin, on the other hand, has experienced Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.

India to have off day on Tuesday

According to a report in Times of India, after two days of gruelling practice at the ICC Academy in Dubai, the Indian team opted for an off day on Tuesday and will train next on Wednesday ahead of their Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh.

India hold a dominant 32-8 record against Bangladesh in ODI contests. This record remains the same at neutral venues, with an 8-2 advantage for India. However, Bangladesh secured three wins in their last five meetings with India, including the crucial Super Four clash in the 2023 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. They even beat India 2-1 at home in a three-match series in 2022.

India, however, head into the tournament and the contest on the back of a 3-0 whitewash over England at home last week. The team showed quite a few positives, including Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma bouncing back to form.

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