Partially False: Morne Morkel Did Not Name Ishan Kishan as a No. 3 Candidate — Here's What He Actually Said
“India's bowling coach Morne Morkel indicated that Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, or Yashasvi Jaiswal could fill the No. 3 batting position”
The argument in brief
A claim circulated that India's bowling coach Morne Morkel named Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, and Yashasvi Jaiswal as candidates for the No. 3 batting spot. This is partially false. While Rahul and Jaiswal were genuinely discussed for that role, Ishan Kishan was not even in India's Test squad for the Australia series, making his inclusion a likely misattribution.
Why it spread
Cricket fans love team selection debates, and a quote from a coaching figure feels like insider information. Because two of the three names — Rahul and Jaiswal — were genuinely being discussed for the No. 3 role, the claim had just enough truth in it to feel believable. Most people sharing it had no reason to check whether Ishan Kishan was even in the squad.
A widely shared claim suggested that India's bowling coach Morne Morkel publicly floated Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, and Yashasvi Jaiswal as options for the No. 3 batting position during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The verdict: partially false. Two of the three names check out, but one key detail appears to be fabricated or garbled in retelling.
Here is the problem with Ishan Kishan's inclusion. According to NDTV Sports, Kishan had been largely absent from India's Test setup throughout 2024 due to availability and form concerns. He was not part of the squad for the Australia series at all. Naming someone who is not even in the squad as a No. 3 candidate would be a strange move for any team official.
Cricbuzz's coverage of India's batting order discussions for the series does mention KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal as genuine No. 3 candidates, along with Shubman Gill. Those names are grounded in reality. The Times of India similarly reported on Gill, Rahul, and Jaiswal in that conversation, with no mention of Kishan in that role.
There is also a structural issue with the original claim. ESPNcricinfo notes that Morkel is India's bowling coach, not the batting coach. Batting order decisions are typically the territory of the batting coach or the captain. It is unusual, though not impossible, for a bowling coach to make specific public pronouncements about who should bat where. This does not prove the claim is wrong, but it should have raised a red flag for anyone sharing it.
This kind of misinformation spreads because it mixes real, verifiable information with one false detail. When a claim contains names that cricket followers already know are in genuine contention, the whole package feels credible. Always check whether the person quoted actually has authority over the topic, and whether every name mentioned was actually in the squad.
Sources
- ESPNcricinfo
Morne Morkel discussed India's No. 3 batting position options but the specific names attributed to him in the claim may be inaccurate or misrepresented. Morkel is India's bowling coach, not batting coach, making it unusual for him to make such specific batting order pronouncements.
- Times of India
Reports around the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy discussed India's No. 3 batting slot with Shubman Gill and others being considered, but Ishan Kishan was not prominently mentioned as a Test No. 3 candidate during this period.
- Cricbuzz
Cricbuzz coverage of India's batting order discussions for the Australia series focused on Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Yashasvi Jaiswal as potential No. 3 options, with no clear record of Morkel specifically naming Ishan Kishan for that role.
- NDTV Sports
Ishan Kishan had been largely out of India's Test setup during 2024 due to availability and form concerns, making his inclusion in a No. 3 discussion by the bowling coach unlikely and potentially a misattribution.