India has not lost a single match in the league stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, but inside the camp, there are some serious concerns before the Super 8 round begins. India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has openly admitted that rival teams have found a clear plan to trouble India.
Spin bowling emerging as India’s biggest threat at T20 World Cup 2026
And that plan is to attack them with spin. Well, the first big concern is fielding. India has already dropped nine catches in the tournament. But the bigger issue is batting against spin. So far, Indian batters have faced 42 overs of spin in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
They scored 315 runs in those overs, with the spinners taking 15 wickets so far in the showpiece event. Even smaller teams like the USA and the Netherlands managed to push India close with this trick. They did not allow Indian batters to play freely. They bowled tight lines and did not give easy singles.
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Ryan ten Doeschate told the media, as quoted by Revsportz: “The Dutch guys took pace off the ball a lot of the time. And obviously teams are bowling a lot of finger spin to us with having so many left-handers in our lineup. That is a challenge. It has (lefties have made it easier for the opposition). We don’t have many options. We’ve got Sanju sitting on the side.”
Big grounds and slow pitches helping spinners
Ryan ten Doeschate said that “finger spinners” are a big threat, but the big size of the grounds and slightly slow pitches are also helping spinners control certain parts of the match.
The coach further pointed out that Pakistan bowled as many as 14 overs of finger spin, but they did not have a great number. However, he admitted that Netherlands off-spinner Aryan Dutt used clever variations, bowled slower through the air, and used the big boundaries well to create pressure.
Ten Doeschate also highlighted that the bigger stadiums mean longer boundaries, so clearing the ropes becomes harder. In Colombo, the pitch was slow, making it even more difficult to attack spinners. And the Indian coach said that such conditions make spin bowling more dangerous.
Finger spin is a big challenge: Ryan ten Doeschate
Now in the Super 8 stage, things will be tough as India are set to face South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the West Indies. The Proteas side has strong spin options like Aiden Markram, George Linde, and Keshav Maharaj. West Indies can use Roston Chase and Gudakesh Motie. Zimbabwe has Sikandar Raza, Ryan Burl, and Wellington Masakadza, who are all capable of creating problems.
With so many quality spinners waiting in the next round, Ryan ten Doeschate admitted that the Men in Blue will have to make adjustments quickly and be smart against the finger spinners.
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He further said, “I’d say finger spin. It is a big challenge. The point is that we need to have plans where the wickets do hold and the boundaries are bigger. We need to be able to have a game plan to deal with that threat. It’s something we’re going to have to focus on.
Like I said, with the amount of finger spin we’re going to get in the next three games, it’s going to be important that we dominate that phase of the game.”
Ryan ten Doeschate hopes for improved fielding in Super 8
Speaking about the defending champions’ poor fielding in the group stage, Ryan ten Doeschate mentioned that dropping catches is “never great,” but the players are working really hard, and such things happen in the format. He signed off by saying, “Particularly in the Super 8 phase, and we talk about the next phase, we’re going to come up against some really good fielding teams.”
