Ex-IND Cricketer Slams Ryan ten Doeschate Over Remarks on Rohit Sharma, Nitish Reddy

Former India cricketer Priyank Panchal had criticised India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate for his remarks on Rohit Sharma and Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Former cricketer Priyank Panchal expressed strong displeasure over the comments made by India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate on Rohit Sharma and Nitish Kumar Reddy during a recent press conference. Ten Doeschate had spoken about the two players following India’s loss in the second ODI of the three-match series against New Zealand in Rajkot.

For the unversed, ten Doeschate had pointed to Rohit Sharma’s lack of touch ahead of the series as the reason behind his underwhelming performances in the first two ODIs. Speaking about Nitish Kumar Reddy, the 45-year-old assistant coach stated that the all-rounder failed to make full use of the opportunity despite being given what he termed a “golden chance” in the second ODI.

Following these remarks, Panchal criticised the sensitivity of ten Doeschate’s comments and questioned his understanding of Indian cricketing culture. The former Gujarat batter felt that this lack of awareness was one of the main reasons why overseas coaches had often failed to enjoy long-term success with the Indian men’s team.

“Terrible comments by Ten Doeschate on Rohit and Nitish. There’s a reason foreign coaches don’t succeed in India. The dexterity you require to navigate through relationships here is lacking in them. Especially if they don’t have anything notable to show in their CV,” Panchal wrote on his official ‘X’ handle.

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Panchal’s comments came amid growing debate around the assistant coach’s public assessment of senior and younger players alike. Rohit Sharma managed scores of 26 and 24 in the first two ODIs, while Nitish Kumar Reddy scored 20 runs and bowled two overs for 13 runs in the Rajkot match.

India’s Game Before NZ Series Decider

India entered the third ODI after a mixed run in the series, having won the opening match in Vadodara before suffering a defeat in Rajkot. The series decider was scheduled to be played at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on January 18. India won the toss and opted to field first, with Arshdeep Singh replacing Prasidh Krishna in the playing XI.

The ODI series will be followed by a five-match T20I series, set to begin on January 21 in Nagpur. India’s next assignment after the white-ball leg will be the T20 World Cup, where the Men in Blue will feature as defending champions in the tournament scheduled to be held across February and March.