Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav’s Form Not a Concern, They’ll Bounce Back Soon: India Assistant Coach Ryan ten Doeschate

India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has defended T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill despite their continued lack of runs in the shortest format. The under-pressure duo endured another difficult outing in the second T20I against South Africa in Mullanpur, where Gill was dismissed for a duck and Suryakumar fell for just five runs. India, failing to chase the massive target of 214, lost the match by 51 runs.

With the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 set to be hosted in India from February 7 to March 8, concerns have grown over the sustained lean patch of two of India’s key batters. However, ten Doeschate dismissed the panic, saying both players possess the quality to overcome the slump and deliver when it matters most.

Backing Gill, the assistant coach noted that the opener had shown a noticeable shift in intent following the Australia tour and had simply fallen to two tough dismissals in the current series. He stressed that Gill’s aggressive approach in the powerplay—something team management demanded—must be seen in context.

“After the Australian tour, I saw promising signs of a mindset shift in Shubman. These two dismissals don’t mean much to me. We asked the batters to attack in the powerplay in Cuttack, but it wasn’t the best wicket, so I’ll overlook that. And today, he got a very good ball—you can’t do much when you’re slightly short on form,” ten Doeschate said during the post-match press conference.

The former Dutch star insisted that both Suryakumar and Gill deserve unwavering backing from the coaching staff, given their proven pedigree and match-winning capabilities.

“We all know Shubman’s class—his ipl numbers show seasons of 700–800 runs. We fully trust his ability and believe he will click soon. The same goes for Surya. Our planning and team structure are well established, and when you support high-quality leaders and players, they eventually repay that faith. It might look worrying from the outside, but I am absolutely confident that both will find form at the right time,” he added.

Second T20I Highlights: India vs South Africa

Since the T20 World Cup 2024, Suryakumar has scored 431 runs from 26 innings at an average of 18.73 and a strike rate of 146.10, with two half-centuries. Gill, returning to the T20I setup in 2025, has accumulated 263 runs from 14 innings at an average of 23.90 and a strike rate of 142.93, though he is yet to register a fifty.

Ten Doeschate also shed light on Gill’s earlier challenges, noting that his leadership responsibilities had weighed him down before changes made during the Australia tour helped free up his natural strokeplay.

“We Want Surya to Stay Aggressive”: ten Doeschate

The assistant coach revealed that part of Gill’s struggle had stemmed from taking on too much responsibility while leading the side, especially after a successful stint in England. The discussions leading up to the Australia series focused on helping him shed the unnecessary burden and play with the same fearlessness he displays in the IPL.

“Shubman cared a little too much, perhaps. As I said after the Australia tour, we worked on getting him to let go of the pressure of thinking he must secure his spot. That’s not how we want him to play. We want him to express himself just like he does in the IPL,” ten Doeschate explained.

He also praised Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership qualities while acknowledging his recent lack of big scores.

“Surya’s quality is unquestionable. Playing at No. 3 for India means you must score consistently, and he hasn’t delivered as much as we’d like for some time now. But we’re not overly worried. We want him to go out there and attack—that’s his natural game. His leadership, meanwhile, has been fantastic,” he added.

The five-match series remains level at 1–1 after South Africa’s defeat in the second T20I in Mullanpur. India will aim to regain control of the series in the third match on December 14 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. As India prepares to defend the T20 World Cup title at home, the team will be hoping for Suryakumar and Gill to rediscover their form in the eight remaining matches leading up to the marquee event.