The Indian team’s new assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate breaks silence on IPL incident with Gambhir. Ryan has recently taken the reins as the head coach of the Indian cricket team. Ryan and Gambhir share a long bond. Gambhir has worked with Nayar and Ten Doeschate in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ setup in the recently concluded Indian Premier League, which they won. Earlier, both were part of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, where Gambhir won the trophy twice as the team captain.
Recently, in an interview with the British radio channel TalkSport, Ten Doeschate broke his silence on the incident with Gautam Gambhir, where he was overlooked.
The incident between Gambhir and Doeschate
Gautam Gambhir has mentioned this story on several occasions about his time at KKR, the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, when Ryan was one of the overseas players. There was a rash of injuries, and only four overseas players were available for selection. It was a guaranteed spot for Ryan, but he was overlooked. Gambhir said that Ryan’s reaction to this was what made him, in his eyes, one of the most selfless cricketers he had ever met.
Ryan Ten Doeschate’s reaction
Ryan responded, “I didn’t see it as a big thing. I still don’t. Now, I would be gutted if anyone behaved any differently. It kind of reminds me of the Roy Keane quote, you know, when someone praises him for what Alex Ferguson said about him covering every blade of grass and fighting for every ball. He says, ‘Well, what else is there to do? What are you praising me for? This is what I do.’ And I know it’s to a far lesser degree, but I think it is important how you carry yourself around the group. Whether you’re disappointed, feel overlooked, or even cheated in a way for not playing, to do anything less than give your best is just not acceptable. And you know, I guess that’s the starting point for him [Gambhir] introducing the work that I do to that group, which was the Knight Riders. But certainly, that’s what I expect and what I intend to give every time I’m involved with a team.”
Two assistant coaches in team India
Along with Ryan Ten Doeschate, Abhishek Nayar has also joined Team India as an assistant coach. This is the first time the Indian cricket setup is seen two assistant coaches. Previously, during the Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid eras, there were no positions for assistant coaches during the tenures of Anil Kumble, Ravi Shastri, and Rahul Dravid.
