Ryan ten Doeschate and Abhishek Nayar to travel with Indian team to Sri Lanka as assistant coaches; T Dilip retained as fielding coach - Reports
After weeks of speculation, there is some clarity forming on Team India's coaching staff situation. Newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir reportedly made a serious case to bring in some of his former colleagues, and from the looks of it, the BCCI has finally relented.
According to a report by Cricbuzz, Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, who were recently part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coaching unit, will travel with the Indian team for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.
Gambhir has captained the Dutch all-rounder during his tenure as KKR skipper, and has worked alongside him during the recent IPL season as well. The same is the case with Nayar, who also shares a close bond with senior members like Rohit Sharma.
Ryan ten Doeschate served as the fielding coach of KKR, and when his name was pitched in by Gambhir, the initial impression was that he would be the successor to T Dilip. However, by the looks of it, T Dilip is set to be retained as fielding coach, making him the only member of the Dravid regime to remain with the team.
He has been a popular figure within the team with his fielding medal incentive project among other things, which has undeniably increased the quality in the recent past.
The likes of Vikram Rathour and Paras Mhambrey have left their roles after the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Ryan ten Doeschate is currently part of the Los Angeles Knight Riders' (LAKR) coaching staff in the 2024 Major League Cricket (MLC) season. The tournament is slated to end on July 28, with LAKR still in contention to make it to the playoffs.
On the other hand, Team India are scheduled to leave for Sri Lanka on Monday, July 22 at 1 PM from Mumbai, and the tour will begin from July 27 onwards.
There is a possibility that ten Doeschate will link up with the team directly in Colombo ahead of the T20I series. BCCI secretary, Jay Shah, who is already in the island nation for the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Annual Conference, will also meet the new coaching group and the squad.
Gambhir's request for Morne Morkel as Team India bowling coach also close to being finalised
Gautam Gambhir has already sent shockwaves through the system through the decision to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as full-time T20I skipper and several controversial decisions in the team selection. He had initially requested for the likes of Vinay Kumar and Lakshipathy Balaji to be considered as the bowling coach in the support staff.
However, after those names were rejected by the BCCI, Gambhir made a case for former South Africa pacer Morne Morkel. The pair worked together during Gambhir's two-year stint as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor.
According to the same report, while there is no clarity regarding Morkel's appointment, the BCCI have held initial talks with him regarding the role.