Ryan ten Doeschate backs Gill, Yadav to regain form in the run-up to T20 WC

India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has urged Shubman Gill to rediscover the freedom and fluency he shows in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and bring that approach into the national T20I set-up.

Despite Gill’s golden duck and skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s score of five in India’s 51-run defeat to South Africa in the second T20I, the Dutchman expressed confidence that both senior batters will find form as the 2026 T20 World Cup draws closer. Notably, the duo last registered T20I fifties more than a year ago.

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Reflecting on Gill’s struggles, ten Doeschate suggested that the added responsibility of leadership across formats may have influenced his mindset.

“I think taking on the captaincy, the way he did in England and how well he led and how much pride he took in that performance, I think an element of that carried over into what he wanted to do in the T20 side. So anything he was too caring and maybe a little bit tight and towards the back end of Australia (tour), the talks were around him freeing up a little bit more,” he said.

He added that Gill needed to let go of the pressure of justification and trust his natural game.

“You do know trying to relinquish that responsibility certainly in that capacity where you feel like it’s all about you and you really need to justify your place in the team. We don’t want him to do that. We want him to play as freely as he does during IPL seasons.”

Turning to Suryakumar’s extended lean patch, ten Doeschate drew parallels in the challenges faced by both batters.

“It’s exactly the same with Surya. You mentioned the leadership roles and we are quite far down the road now with our planning and how we have set the team up.”

He acknowledged the expectations tied to batting at No. 3 but reiterated the management’s faith. “If you are going to be India’s number three, there is pressure on you to score runs. There has been a fairly long string of form now where he hasn’t got the scores we like. But in isolation, we are certainly not worried about it… Personally, I think you back quality players and quality leaders like that, and they will come good.”

With the series level at 1-1, India and South Africa will next face off in Dharamsala in the third T20I at the HPCA Stadium on Sunday.