![Ryan ten Doeschate and Rohit Sharma [Source: @globalcricinfo, @ImYorker93/x.com]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1768732747798_RyantenDoeschateRohitSharma.jpg?type=hq)
Ryan ten Doeschate and Rohit Sharma [Source: @globalcricinfo, @ImYorker93/x.com]
Former India batter Priyank Panchal has sparked a fresh debate around how things are said, not just what is said, in Indian cricket. Panchal came down hard on India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate after his blunt comments on Rohit Sharma and Nitish Kumar Reddy following the second ODI against New Zealand in Rajkot.
What could have passed off as routine post-match analysis quickly turned into a talking point with Panchal calling the remarks insensitive and out of touch with the Indian cricketing ecosystem. In his view, the comments crossed a line and demonstrated why overseas coaches often struggle to fully integrate into Indian cricket.
Panchal calls out lack of sensitivity in ten Doeschate’s remarks
Taking to X, the former opener slammed ten Doeschate’s remarks, saying they showed a poor understanding of how things work in Indian cricket. According to Panchal, it’s not just about tactics and technique here, it’s about relationships, timing and knowing when to keep things in-house.
He went a step further, suggesting that this very gap is why many overseas coaches struggle to leave a lasting impact in India. In his words, navigating the Indian dressing room needs finesse and without that, comments like these are bound to rub people the wrong way.
"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.
What ten Doeschate actually said about Rohit and Nitish?
Ten Doeschate, speaking after the second ODI, pointed to Rohit Sharma’s lack of match practice ahead of the series as a reason for his modest returns. Rohit managed scores of 26 and 24 in the first two games, numbers that don’t quite match his reputation.
Rohit, who is in the twilight of his career, is always in the limelight. Even a couple of low scores can set tongues wagging. But Panchal’s point was simple: form ebbs and flows and calling it out publicly rarely helps.
On Nitish Kumar Reddy, the assistant coach felt the youngster didn’t grab the opportunity with both hands. Reddy scored 20 and bowled a couple of overs, giving away 13 runs in Rajkot. Ten Doeschate called it a missed chance, especially for a player trying to cement his spot.
Focus shifts to the series decider
Amid all the noise, the cricket moves on. India headed into the third ODI level in the series with one win in Vadodara and a loss in Rajkot.
The Men in Blue won the toss and chose to field first, bringing Arshdeep Singh into the XI in place of Prasidh Krishna. At the time of writing this article, New Zealand are 152/3 after 29 overs with Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips in the middle.
