India are gearing up to head into the five-match T20I series against West Indies with the firepower that is well capable of challenging West Indies. India’s tearaway pacer Jasprit Bumrah is not part of the series, but in his absence Mayank Yadav will be expected to lead India’s bowling attack, and Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel is excited to see Mayank in action. Moreover, this series provides an opportunity for the management to assess India’s next generation of fast bowlers. 

Notably, Mayank Yadav recently made his return to the side after battling injuries. He made his international debut two years back, but he has managed only a handful of T20I appearances since then. Recently, he was part of India’s three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, where he took five wickets. India also have another talented pacer in Prince Yadav, who has made his T20I and ODI debuts. Prince came into the picture at the IPL 2026, which turned out to be a breakthrough season for him. He repeatedly demonstrated his bowling capabilities by moving the ball in both directions. 

“If you look at Mayank, immediately what comes to mind is his pace, his X-factor. I think for me, Prince, who was a net bowler a couple of years ago, he's now playing for India. That resilience, the hard work he's put into his game to reach the international stage, is admirable," Morkel said at the press conference. 

“So, for me, that shows that these guys are hard-working players. Mayank had a couple of setbacks with injury, back-to-back setbacks for a young player to get through that, and then again find themselves in a situation to play for India just shows attitude. At the end of the day, you want guys here that are in a squad or playing for India that have fantastic attitudes, that are keen to work, keep on working hard, because those guys will deliver for the team,” he said.

Both Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav have a chance to make a mark. Meanwhile, the first T20I between India and the West Indies will be held on Tuesday in Lucknow.

“They're both young; they're still sort of learning their trade. I think sometimes the challenge is that you have them for a small window of time, and then they go away a little bit. Although we keep in touch and we stay connected to them, it's hard to keep your personal touch as a bowling coach.”

“So then you have to come back, and then we work on a couple of things. So I think that's a way that we can sort of try in the future to make it better. But obviously now we've got such a fantastic pool of players, and these guys, they do well when they go back to their states. But I'm excited now to see how they go with this opportunity given,” Morkel stated.