As the BCCI has complied with the Indian government’s directives to proceed with the highly anticipated match against the bitter rivals Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday, September 14, there has been a great sense of patriotism among Indians.
Ryan ten Doeschate, the assistant coach for Team India, confirmed that the game would proceed according to schedule at a media appearance on Saturday.
In response to a question concerning the use of sports as a vehicle for expressing broader national and public thoughts and emotions, ten Doeschate said that politics and sports should always be kept apart. He reinforced his argument by asserting that the Indian team and players are not at fault because they are merely according to the BCCI’s directives, which were ultimately issued following extensive deliberation with the Indian government.
“The opposing viewpoint is that politics and sports should be kept apart, and various people have differing views on this. And we hope that our style of play reflects the players’ sentiments regarding the nation. On the eve of the intense match, the assistant coach told reporters, “And I understand the position and like I explained the sentiment, but we are following the direction of what the BCI and the Indian government have decided is right for the country at the moment.”
India is probably going to stick with their current lineup.
Ten Doeschate also discussed the Indian team’s batting lineup for the forthcoming match, with a focus on the middle-order batsmen. He made a suggestion that the Suryakumar Yadav-led team might stick with their starting lineup for their opening group round matchup against the United Arab Emirates. Arshdeep’s prospects of making the playing XI, which many questioned, therefore appear slim for the match against Pakistan as well.
Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Varun Chakravarthy .
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