Upset Over Team India’s Unfulfilled ‘Promise’, Coach Ryan Ten Doeschate Planning To Quit: Report

A coaching crisis is expected to emerge in the Indian men’s national cricket team, with reports suggesting that assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has informed the management of his decision to leave. Although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to decide whether to allow the Dutchman to leave before the end of his contract, a report has explained how an unfulfilled promise by the Gautam Gambhir-led management led to Ten Doeschate taking this step.

According to a report by PTI, Ten Doeschate came on board as India’s assistant coach after being promised that he would also be given the role of the team’s fielding coach. However, T Dilip, who first became a part of India’s coaching setup under former head coach Rahul Dravid, retained the role even after Gambhir’s appointment to the top position.

Two years since his arrival, Ten Doeschate is still waiting for that promise to be fulfilled. The fact that Dilip was once set to be let go, only to be reinstated as the team’s fielding coach, has further added to the former Netherlands batter’s disappointment.

“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.

It has also been reported that Dilip was originally supposed to leave the support staff after the 2025 Champions Trophy. The board had decided to part ways with him, as well as assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai, and masseur Arun Kanade. However, Dilip reportedly signed a one-year extension after a senior member of the Indian squad advocated for him.

“He is an outstanding coach, but his expertise hasn’t been fully utilised because the fielding coach’s position remains occupied,” the source further said regarding Ten Doeschate.

At present, it appears that only one of Dilip and Ten Doeschate can continue to remain a part of Gambhir’s coaching staff due to the conflict over the fielding coach’s role.

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