India Enters the Super 8 stage T20 World Cup 2026 With a perfect record after a hard-fought win over the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium. While the 17-run win secured their fourth straight win in the tournament, the team management is already looking for the tactical improvements needed to complete the run of the tournament. Assistant coach after the game Ryan ten Doeschate provided a candid assessment of the upcoming trip, stressing that the team’s “best, most complete performance is yet to come” as they prepare for a rematch of the 2024 final. South Africa this market.
T20 World Cup 2026: Ryan ten Doeschate flag major hurdle for unbeaten India ahead of South Africa Super 8
In the group stage, India faced more off-spin than any other team, often struggling to maintain a high scoring rate during medium overs on sticky wickets. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate noted that flat pitches allow hitters “Cross the line with more confidence” the real test is adapting to the surfaces the ball hits.
“I think on better wickets, you won’t see that (fighting the blow). You can cross the line with more confidence. But the thing is, we’ve got to have schemes where wickets are kept and (longer) boundaries. We’ve got to have a game plan to deal with that threat. I wouldn’t say (I’m saying I’m fighting all fingers).” ESPNcricinfo reports that Ten Doeschate said this.
Ten Doeschate pointed out that opponents have deliberately used finger-spinners to target India’s left-arm-dominant top order, citing the recent clash in Colombo as a prime example:
“Colombo (against Pakistan) was a particularly tough wicket… I think Pakistan bowled 14 (17) wickets in the last game and off the top of my head I want to say 78 for 4 or something like that (125 for 5). So it’s not big numbers (for India). There’s more of a trend in this World Cup now.” Ten Doeschate added.
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‘Teams are getting smarter’: India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate admits
India’s unbeaten run to the Super 8s has been overshadowed by a distinct weakness against finger-spin. It started against the trend USAwhere the spinners squeezed India for three middle-order wickets and continued against Namibia as Gerhard Erasmus the four lap track almost derailed the strong start. Opposing captains have clearly identified India’s left-arm heavy rank as a tactical weakness to be exploited on the catching surfaces.
The struggle reached its peak in Colombo, where Pakistan deployed 18 spins on a sticky pitch to dismantle the top order, including prized wickets. Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishi. Most recently in Ahmedabad, Netherlands Aryan Dutt Using the new ball to get both openers out early, India ‘squeezed’ their faces when they failed to get over the line. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate admitted that “teams are getting smarter” and using finger spin to stifle India’s power-hitting on wickets that offer even the slightest of grips.
“That’s been the trend in this World Cup. In the IPL or bilateral series, the pace of the innings goes through the power plays. In all games, especially in Sri Lanka (in this World Cup), you get out of the books early and the batting becomes difficult in the middle stages and teams are smarter now,” Ten Doeschate concluded.
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