Rajkot, India – Ryan ten Doeschate, India's assistant coach, is facing heavy criticism after recent comments regarding Rohit Sharma's performance and, separately, remarks about young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. The remarks, made after India's seven-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the second ODI in Rajkot, have sparked controversy and led to questions about the role of foreign coaches in the Indian cricket setup.

Ten Doeschate suggested that Rohit Sharma's relatively modest scores of 26 and 24 in the first two ODIs against New Zealand might be due to a lack of consistent match practice. He pointed out that even though Sharma participated in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he wasn't as fluent as usual. In regards to Nitish Kumar Reddy, ten Doeschate stated that Reddy often doesn't contribute significantly when given opportunities. Reddy scored 20 runs off 21 balls and bowled two overs for 13 runs in the second ODI.

These comments have drawn strong reactions from former Indian cricketers. Manoj Tiwary, a former teammate of ten Doeschate at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), has strongly criticized the assistant coach, calling his remarks "demoralising" and unnecessary. Tiwary argued that Sharma's contributions to Indian cricket far outweigh any short-term dip in form and that such comments from a member of the team management could negatively impact the dressing-room environment. He also highlighted Sharma's recent successes, including a strong performance in the ODI series in Australia and the home series against South Africa. Speaking to PTI, Tiwary said that ten Doeschate's international record "is not even 5% of what Rohit has achieved in his career, not just as a batter but also as a captain".

Priyank Panchal, another former Indian cricketer and current India A coach, also criticized ten Doeschate's comments, stating, "There's a reason foreign coaches don't succeed in India". He suggested that foreign coaches often struggle because they lack the understanding of managing relationships within the Indian dressing room. Panchal felt that blunt public criticism was unacceptable given ten Doeschate's record as a player and coach.

Aakash Chopra also criticized ten Doeschate's remarks about Nitish Kumar Reddy. Chopra noted that Reddy is often played at number seven, which limits his chances, and is not given enough overs to bowl. Zaheer Khan has also critiqued Ryan ten Doeschate's comments about Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Ten Doeschate's assessment of Sharma's form was made after India's loss to New Zealand. While acknowledging that Sharma is not the type of player to play for himself, ten Doeschate attributed his recent struggles to difficult wickets and a potential lack of match practice.

The controversy has erupted ahead of the crucial third ODI between India and New Zealand in Indore. Sharma will be looking to regain his form and lead India to a series victory, while ten Doeschate's future within the Indian coaching setup remains uncertain amidst the criticism.