India coach Ryan Ten Doescathe acknowledged public sentiment over the Pahalgam attack ahead of the Asia Cup clash vs Pakistan but said the team will stay professional and focused. Ryan Ten Doescathe emphasised the players’ compassion and adherence to government directives.
Team India players are aware of the public sentiment against their Asia Cup match against Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack but head coach Gautam Gambhir has advised them to focus on the big game in a team meeting, fielding coach Ryan Ten Doeschate said on Saturday. The Indian government has allowed the national team to play against Pakistan at multi-national events like the World Cup and Asia Cup but has barred any bilateral engagement across sports.
India is set to play Pakistan in their upcoming Asia Cup match on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Ahead of that, several Indian citizens have called for boycotting the match amid sentiments over the Pahalgam attack on April 22, where 26 lives were lost.
Speaking on that, India coach Ryan Ten Doeschate stated that the players share the same compassion and feeling with the vast majority of the Indian public, but added that the Suryakumar Yadav-led side will be professional and focused during the match. Ryan Ten Doescathe further mentioned that the Asia Cup was in limbo for a long time, and they are only following the stance of the Indian government.
Ryan ten Doeschate believes that Team India would be confident and professional vs Pakistan
Ahead of India’s highly anticipated Asia Cup 2025 clash with Pakistan, assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate has said that the team hasn’t prepared any differently for this match. He emphasized that while they respect people’s sentiments about the game, their focus remains on professional cricketing duties.
“It’s a very sensitive issue and I’ve got no doubt the players share the compassion and feeling of the vast majority of the Indian public,” he said in a press conference.
Ryan Ten Doeschate acknowledged the emotional weight of the upcoming match, given its significance to the Indian public.He said,
“You know what the Indian government’s stance is and now the team and particularly the players, you have to put those sentiments and the emotions behind.”
He added that this was discussed in a recent team meeting. Ryan Ten Doeschate shared that India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has asked the players not to worry about things beyond their control. He said,
“Gauti’s message has been sort of very professional about not worrying about things that are not in our control and being emotionless when approaching the cricket side of things.”
This approach is aimed at keeping the team’s focus on their game amid external pressures.When asked if the team sees sport as a way to protest, Ryan Ten Doeschate clarified that they are here to play cricket. He said,
“The other side of the argument is you separate sport and politics, and people have got different opinions on that.” The assistant coach also stressed that they are following BCCI’s direction on what is right for India at this moment.
Ryan Ten Doeschate was honest about the preparations for the Pakistan match, saying they are pretty much the same as any other game. He said,
“I’ll be honest, no,” when asked if there was a little “something extra” for this match.
Ryan ten Doeschate also noted that Pakistan has started to figure out their T20 cricket strategy, making them a slightly different challenge than in the past.
Match number 6 of the Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 sees India face arch-rivals Pakistan in a crunch Group A contest. India won their opening contest against UAE by 9 wickets. Pakistan got off to a winning start in their clash against Oman. The India-Pakistan match will be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The match will start at 8:00pm IST.