New Delhi: India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has indicated that skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma are likely to bat at numbers three and four in the Asia Cup, leaving Sanju Samson to adjust to a number five role. Ten Doeschate acknowledged Samson’s initial discomfort but expressed confidence in his ability to pace his innings effectively. “He’s still figuring out how to play that role, but we believe Sanju is the best man for the job,” he said, referring to Samson’s 17-ball 13 against Pakistan in the Super 4s. The Dutch coach noted that with Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma performing strongly at the top, the team expects Samson to anchor the middle order.
Reflecting on India’s scrappy performance against Pakistan, Ten Doeschate emphasised the team’s guiding principle of “respect everyone, fear no one.” He said the players had addressed areas for improvement in a team meeting and were focused on delivering their best against Bangladesh. Despite provocative gestures by Pakistan players—Sahibzada Farhan’s gun-firing celebration and Haris Rauf’s plane-crash mimicry referencing Operation Sindoor—the Indian team remained composed. “It would have been easy to lose our minds, but the guys stuck to the task and focused on winning the game,” he said, praising the maturity of Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma.
Ten Doeschate also explained that the pressure on Pakistan players likely contributed to their behaviour, but added that it was not India’s concern. “We’re really proud of how our guys carried themselves; they fought fire with their bats and stuck to the cricket,” he remarked. He indirectly linked some of these tensions to India’s ‘No Handshake Policy’ with Pakistan following the Pahalgam incident, noting that the Indian team remained disciplined and focused throughout the emotionally charged match.
On workload management, Ten Doeschate discussed Jasprit Bumrah’s schedule ahead of India’s home Test series against the West Indies. With potentially four Asia Cup games in seven days, Bumrah could bowl around 23 overs during the tournament, which the coach believes is sufficient preparation for the red-ball series starting October 2 in Ahmedabad. When asked about resting Bumrah during the Super 4s, Ten Doeschate said it was unlikely, as the team would aim to field their best XI in every game. “He fits into our plans, and this workload should be ideal preparation for the Test match while maintaining the importance of the Asia Cup,” he added.
