Is Gill, Suryakumar's form a concern? Ryan ten Doeschate opines
What's the story
India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has come out in defense of T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill. The duo has been struggling with their form lately, but ten Doeschate is confident they will bounce back before the 2026 T20 World Cup in India. In the second T20I against South Africa at Mullanpur, both players failed to make an impact on the scoreboard as India lost by 51 runs.
Defense strategy
Ten Doeschate defends Gill's dismissal
Ten Doeschate defended Gill, saying he was out by a brilliant delivery from Lungi Ngidi in Mullanpur. He said, "I saw some good signs of a change in mentality on the back end of that Australian tour. I wouldn't read too much into these two dismissals in this series." The assistant coach also explained that the team had asked players to attack during the powerplay, which could have contributed to their dismissals.
Class assurance
Ten Doeschate emphasizes on Gill's class and IPL record
Ten Doeschate stressed on Gill's class, citing his IPL record where he scores 700-800 runs. He said, "We believe in his class, and we believe he will come good." The assistant coach also echoed similar sentiments for Suryakumar Yadav, saying they are well into their planning with the team setup. He added, "I have absolute faith in both of them coming good at the right time for us."
Leadership impact
Ten Doeschate addresses leadership pressure on Gill
Ten Doeschate also spoke about how the pressure of a leadership role had affected Gill's free play. He said, "If anything, he was too caring and maybe a little bit too tight." The assistant coach stressed they want players to play freely as they do in IPL seasons. He praised Suryakumar Yadav for his captaincy despite his poor run with the bat lately.
Stats
Decoding SKY and Gill's T20I numbers in 2025
While Gill bagged a golden duck in the second T20I, SKY scored five runs off four balls. As per ESPNcricinfo, the former has just managed 263 runs across 14 T20I innings in 2025 at an average of 23.90. His best score in this period is 47. Meanwhile, the Indian skipper's average (14.35) is even more paltry this year. He has managed just 201 runs across 17 innings.