Morne Morkel's honest take on India's poor fielding ahead of India vs England T20 World Cup semifinal

Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel has openly addressed India's fielding concerns in the T20 World Cup 2026, admitting that defensive lapses are costing the team dearly. He noted that misfields and errors on the boundary have frequently gifted opponents an extra 15 to 20 runs per innings. Despite these recurring issues, Morkel is determined to keep the squad's focus on the high-stakes semi-final against England this Thursday in Mumbai, choosing to look forward rather than dwelling on previous mistakes.

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Morne Morkel on India's fielding concerns

The statistics, however, paint a worrying picture of India's performance in the field throughout the tournament. With a catching efficiency of just 71.7 per cent, India currently hold the poorest record among all sides that qualified for the Super 8 stage. This lack of clinical finishing in the field has placed additional pressure on the bowling unit, especially during high-pressure moments where momentum can shift on a single dropped chance.

We're giving away maybe 15-20 runs in the field: Morkel

These struggles were particularly evident during India’s recent virtual quarter-final against West Indies at Eden Gardens. Several opportunities went begging, most notably involving Abhishek Sharma. In the fifth over, Sharma failed to hold onto a straightforward sitter" at extra cover off Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling, which would have removed Roston Chase. Later, in the penultimate over delivered by Arshdeep Singh, he spilled another crucial catch that could have dismissed the dangerous Rovman Powell, further highlighting the team's defensive fragility heading into the knockouts.

"Obviously, fielding is something that we speak about a lot. I think at times we're guilty; we're giving away maybe 15-20 runs in the field. That's one aspect that we keep on working on and asking the guys to really step up on. If we can get the right players in those positions, hopefully we can take the catches," Morkel said at the pre-match press conference.

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India’s fielding woes have reached a tournament high, with the team now totaling 13 dropped catches, the most by any participating nation. This statistical slump has placed the defending champions under immense scrutiny as they head into the knockout stage, where such errors often prove the difference between victory and elimination. The stage is now set for a heavyweight clash as India prepare to face two-time champions England in the second semi-final at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, with a spot in the T20 World Cup final on the line.