India’s assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, says that the T20 World Cup, scheduled for next month, is still some time away and therefor, the team’s immediate focus is on the ongoing ODI series against
New Zealand, which is currently tied at 1-1 after the tourists secured a victory in the second match held on Wednesday in Rajkot.
Defending champions India will co-host the 20-team ICC T20 World Cup starting on February 7. Currently, they are in the middle of an intense ODI series, with the final match set to take place in Indore on Sunday.
Ten Doeschate stressed the importance of not getting too distracted by the World Cup and instead focusing on the current series. “There’s a real chance that you’re so focused on the World Cup that you think, ‘oh, these three games this week just come and go,’ and we don’t learn anything or put our best performances out there,” he said after India’s seven-wicket loss in the second ODI.
He confirmed that the team is fully concentrated on the ongoing series, with each series being crucial for the players. “The World Cup is still a long way off, but it’s about building from series to series and developing good habits. We’re trying to manage both and keep the excitement of the T20 World Cup at bay for a few more days,” ten Doeschate added.
However, he also highlighted the need to protect the players who will participate in the T20 World Cup. “We’re very cautious and conscious about not overworking them. But at the same time, we do want to protect the players heading to the T20 World Cup,” he said.
The Indian squad has been affected by injuries, sidelining T20 World Cup-bound players Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant, and Washington Sundar.
Ten Doeschate asserted that Indian players should not have issues performing since the two formats involve different sets of players. “You’ve got to be able to apply yourself to both situations, particularly with the two different sets of personnel we have. There’s no real excuse for not focusing on this,” he said.
A depleted New Zealand side clinched victory in the second ODI, winning by seven wickets with more than two overs to spare. This loss once again highlighted concerns, similar to those from the Test series defeats at home against the same opponent in 2024-25 and against South Africa earlier this season.
“The two home Test series defeats hurt a lot,” ten Doeschate said when asked if India is no longer invincible at home, with South Africa also levelling the ODIs 1-1.
“To come into a team with such an impeccable home record as India, it’s tough to face those two series losses. We’re trying to experiment, but we’re absolutely not saying it’s okay to lose. These ODI losses are somewhat easier to accept than the Test match defeats.
“We’re always aiming to win every game while managing the medium to long-term prospects of the team. It’s certainly something we need to address—to get back to a point where opponents fear playing against India at home,” he concluded.
With PTI Inputs
