Despite India’s spectacular six-wicket win over England at Edgbaston, a major off-field development has sent shockwaves through the visiting camp. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has reportedly informed the Indian management his decision to part ways with the Indian national team mid-tour, leaving the support staff short-handed ahead of IND vs ENG 2nd ODI in Cardiff. BCCI has not yet made a decision on whether to release him before his contract expires.
According to a report in PTI, Doeschate’s decision was fueled by an “unfulfilled promise” regarding his specific coaching responsibilities and long-term trajectory within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) setup.
The Unfulfilled Promise
Former Netherlands international Ryan ten Doeschate joined India’s coaching staff as assistant coach after reportedly being assured that he would also take charge as the team’s fielding coach. However, T Dilip, who was appointed during Rahul Dravid’s tenure as head coach, continued in the role even after Gautam Gambhir took over the Indian team.
Nearly two years later, Ten Doeschate is still waiting for that reported assurance to materialise. His frustration is believed to have grown further after Dilip, who was initially expected to be replaced, was ultimately retained as India’s fielding coach, leaving the Dutchman without the additional responsibility he had anticipated.
“You have Sitanshu Kotak as the batting coach, and there’s Gauti (Gambhir) himself to look after the batters. Morne (Morkel) is in charge of the pacers, and Sairaj (Bahutule) looks after the spinners. When Tendo (his nickname) was brought on board, he was promised the fielding coach’s job,” a senior BCCI source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
“Dilip was supposed to be removed along with Abhishek Nayar (assistant coach), Soham Desai (S&C coach), and Arun Kanade (masseur) after the 2025 Champions Trophy. However, a strong recommendation for Dilip came from a senior player, earning him a one-year extension. As a result, Tendo did not actually have a specific domain role. He is a fantastic coach who hasn’t been utilised properly because Dilip is there,” the source added.
The report suggests that T Dilip was expected to part ways with the Indian team’s support staff after the 2025 Champions Trophy. However, he is believed to have secured a one-year contract extension after receiving strong backing from a senior member of the Indian squad.
As things stand, there appears to be uncertainty over the future of the coaching setup. With both T Dilip and Ryan ten Doeschate linked to the fielding coach’s responsibilities, reports indicate that only one of them may eventually remain in Gautam Gambhir’s support staff if the role overlap is not resolved.
