Ryan ten Doeschate has stepped down as India’s assistant coach, bringing an end to a two-year stint with the men’s team that began alongside Gautam Gambhir’s appointment as head coach in July 2024.

The Dutchman is understood to have formally tendered his resignation following the conclusion of India’s limited-overs tour of England last week, drawing the curtains on a tenure that saw him work across formats during a period of transition in Indian cricket.

Ten Doeschate was one of Gambhir’s two trusted appointments to the national team’s support staff, alongside bowling coach Morne Morkel. The former Netherlands all-rounder was entrusted with overseeing batting and fielding – with T. Dilip as the designated fielding coach – while also playing a key role in player management behind the scenes.

Although the BCCI is yet to make an official announcement, it is learnt that ten Doeschate informed the board, his coaching staff colleagues and the players of his decision during the England series.

His departure leaves a vacancy in the support staff at a time when India is building towards a packed international calendar, including the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup next year. It is understood that the succession plan – with his and Dilip’s tenures having come to an end – will be one of the key agenda items during the BCCI’s review meeting, expected to be held next week.

Ten Doeschate’s exit also marks the first significant change to Gambhir’s backroom team since it took charge two years ago. With preparations already underway for the next ICC cycle, the BCCI is expected to move quickly on identifying the next assistant coach once discussions are held at the review meeting.

Three members of India’s men’s cricket team’s support staff are facing an uncertain future, with their contracts set to expire at the end of the ongoing limited-overs tour of England. The continuation of assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, bowling coach Morne Morkel and fielding coach T. Dilip remains under consideration as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) weighs its options ahead of a crucial phase in the team’s build-up to the next year’s ODI World Cup.

The Hindu understands that assistant coach ten Doeschate and bowling coach Morkel — both handpicked by head coach Gautam Gambhir while taking charge in July 2024 — have been reluctant to commit to fresh contracts owing to a combination of personal and professional factors.

It is learnt that both have expressed concerns over the long periods spent away from their families, with the demanding international calendar making it increasingly difficult to strike a balance between professional commitments and personal life. Besides the personal aspect, discussions have also revolved around role clarity and the roadmap for the support staff beyond the current cycle.

The BCCI and Gambhir are understood to be evaluating whether to persuade the duo to continue until the next year’s World Cup in South Africa. While no final decision has been taken, the matter is expected to be resolved soon after the England tour.

Fielding coach T. Dilip, meanwhile, finds himself in a different situation. The only member retained from the previous coaching set-up led by Rahul Dravid, Dilip, has completed his tenure and is awaiting clarity on whether he will be offered an extension.

The timing of the decision is significant, with the BCCI’s review committee scheduled to meet later this month to assess the team’s performance and chart the way forward.

The Afghanistan ODI series may have been framed as another step in India’s march towards the 2027 World Cup, but beneath the victories lay a more specific objective: expanding the country’s all-rounder resources beyond the security blanket of Hardik Pandya.

India has spent much of the last decade orbiting around Hardik Pandya. He is not merely an all-rounder. He is a solution to several problems at once: a middle-order hitter, a finisher, a seam-bowling option, and a balance-restorer.

His absence due to a quadriceps strain handed the team management an opportunity to assess a range of candidates. Nitish Kumar, along with spin-bowling all-rounders Washington Sundar and Harsh Dubey, featured during the series, while Harshit Rana returned to the squad after a lengthy injury layoff.

Gurnoor Brar, meanwhile, showcased the pace, aggression and lower-order batting potential that have increasingly attracted the selectors’ attention.

Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate suggested that India’s planning extends well beyond identifying immediate replacements.

“It (the all-rounder pool) is really good. I would still say the majority of those guys are bowling all-rounders. And when Hardik’s fit, he obviously brings a different element because he’s such a strong batter and such a strong finisher. Sort of role scarcity… it is difficult to find a finisher who gives you overs as well.

“Those guys are all tracking really nicely. With Nitish, for the last 18 months he’s shown glimpses of how important he can be to this team, particularly in this format. I feel his body’s getting stronger and stronger, and I sort of feel he is the natural successor or backup to Hardik,” he said.

Ten Doeschate’s comments revealed a broader emphasis on lower-order batting depth, particularly with South African conditions in mind.

“Certainly, (it’s good) to see these other guys chipping in and working on their games — even someone like Gurnoor and Harshit. They’re bowling all-rounders, but the fact that we feel we’ve got guys who can hold the bat at No. 9… Obviously, looking forward to the next 14-15 months, that is going to be very important, especially in South Africa when you want to play three seamers, three proper out-and-out seamers,” he said.

The series highlighted the variety within India’s all-rounder pool. Add Harshit’s return, and the options suddenly appear plentiful. As ten Doeschate put it: “All of a sudden the cupboard seems very full.”

With 2027 on the horizon, that depth may prove as valuable as any individual star. India is no longer searching for one all-rounder. It is building a pool.

India, having clinched the ODI series against Afghanistan with victories in the first two outings in Dharamshala and Lucknow, is set to try out the bench strength in the third and final game here on Saturday (June 20, 2026) .

Speaking ahead of the match, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate was full of praise for the young crop of Indian fast bowlers heading into next year’s ODI World Cup.

“When we got together in Chandigarh to see those young guys come in and bowl, it was literally like a wow moment. The way Gurnoor (Brar) has bowled in his first two games, and seeing a young Indian pacer hit 147-148 kph, is exciting,” said ten Doeschate.

“For the next 15 months, it’s purely around that (ODI World Cup). To amalgamate the talent with the guys coming through and get them up to speed, really, really quickly, is going to be the challenge for this group.”

On Kuldeep Yadav’s form, the former Dutch all-rounder backed the left-arm wrist-spinner to come good soon. “The way the game is evolving and the way guys go after the spin, the onus is back on the spinner to almost reinvent himself from time to time. Having Sairaj (Bahutule) in now, to work with the spinners on a lot of tactical things, game planning and trying to come up with new ideas, I think Kuldeep is travelling nicely, so no concerns about him,” he added.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan fielding coach John Mooney conceded that the current series has exposed the gulf between the two sides.

“The takeaway from the series is that skills-wise, they have a lot to do to catch up with this Indian team. I believe our players have fantastic skills as well. But the best players stick to the basics. They do the basics over and over and over and over, and I feel that that’s an area where our players could improve,” said Mooney.