Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate have been confirmed as assistant coaches for the forthcoming Sri Lankan trip by recently hired head coach Gautam Gambhir. This news was revealed at Gambhir’s maiden press appearance in Mumbai following his assumption of the role earlier this month.
Nayar and Ten Doeschate’s appointment is a kind of reunion, as the three collaborated during the Kolkata Knight Riders’ victorious 2024 IPL campaign.
Their partnership helped KKR win their first championship in ten years, which surely had an impact on Gautam Gambhir choice to include them on the national team.
“However, I have collaborated with individuals like Abhishek Nayar and Ryan Ten Doeschate. The players have given me some excellent input regarding the other individuals as well. T Dilip will stay on as the coach for fielding. Gambhir announced Sairaj Bahutule as the temporary bowling coach for the Sri Lankan tour.
After India’s victory at the 2024 T20 World Cup, Gambhir, who succeeded Dravid, acknowledged his happiness with the BCCI’s backing.
“Very content. the BCCI. The majority of my requests have been granted. I read this thing over and over. The core members of the support personnel will not change. After the visit of Sri Lanka, the remaining personnel would be confirmed, Gambhir continued.
The three T20Is and three ODIs that make up the Sri Lankan tour, which starts on July 27, present an immediate challenge for the new coaching staff. India’s international schedule is full with matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand at home and a five-match Test series in Australia later in the year, starting with this series.
With a lot of domestic cricket experience, Nayar, a former all-rounder for India, adds invaluable perspective to the team. His experience as a mentor, having worked with players such as Rinku Singh and Dinesh Karthik Varun Chakravarthy in the past, could be invaluable in developing fresh potential.
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The former Netherlands all-rounder Ten Doeschate brings a perspective from a global standpoint as well as recent coaching experience from his time spent with the Major League Cricket team, the Los Angeles Knight Riders.