Meet Ryan ten Doeschate: Man who taught Gautam Gambhir selflessness and likely to land Team India job | 5 Points

New India head coach Gautam Gambhir had requested a free hand in managing the Men In Blue. And among his first demands is the inclusion of Dutch legend Ryan ten Doeschate in the team's backroom staff. The South Africa-born Doeschate remains one of the most prolific associate players to grace the game ever and enjoys a warm relationship with the Knight Riders franchise. A former Kolkata Knight during the Gambhir era, 44-year-old Doeschate has also worked with KKR's subsidiaries in the Caribbean Premier League, Major League Cricket and ILT20. 

BCCI prefer all-Indian backroom staff usually. However, due to Gambhir's insistence, Ryan ten Doeschate will join Abhishek Nayar as the support staff of the national team during India's white-ball tour to Sri Lanka, starting from July 27, news agency PTI reported. 

ALSO READ | Gambhir era begins in Indian cricket; BCCI says expects tenacity from new coach

Here are five things to know about Ryan ten Doeschate, who is likely to be part of Team India in the days to come.

1. Ryan Doeschate is currently working with LA Knight Riders in the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC). When Gambhir-mentored Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) lifted IPL 2024, Ryan was the team's fielding coach.

2. Gambhir has openly expressed his admiration for the team-first attitude of the Dutchman. He played five years for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. "...my first game as a KKR captain, we only had four overseas (players) available. And this man had a fabulous 50-over World Cup. And we went in that game with only three overseas players. He was carrying drinks in that game with no disappointment on his face. He taught me selflessness. Ryan ten Doeschate (sic)," Gambhir reportedly said in a viral video, shot at a KKR function.

3. During his player days, Ryan averaged an unbelievable 67 in ODI cricket. Although the Netherlands hardly got to play against the powerhouses of cricket, the world witnessed glimpses of his career whenever they made it to the big stage.

ALSO READ | India likely to skip Pakistan for Champions Trophy, suggests Dubai, Sri Lanka as alternate venues

4. An all-rounder who could bowl medium-pace at full throttle, RTD won the ICC Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year Award three times between 2008 and 2011. When India hosted the 2011 ICC World Cup, he was the most iconic player in the Dutch lineup. Doeschate lived up to the expectations hitting two centuries including a famous knock against the mighty England. 

5. Tasmania, Chittagong Kings, Adelaide Strikers, Dhaka Dynamites, Karachi Kings, Comilla Victorians, Galaxy Gladiators Lantau, Bloem City Blazers, Hong Kong Island United, Nelson Mandela Bay Giants... RTD is a mainstay across global cricket circuits. Aged 37, he led Essex to their first Championship for 25 years before winning it again in 2019. Like a cherry on the top,  Doeschate also managed T20 Blast success that year.