Who Are 'Tendo' And Morne Morkel? The KKR Connections That Gambhir Advocating For India
Ryan ten Doeschate and Morne Morkel with Gautam Gambhir in KKR [X]
Indian cricket is currently in the transition phase. With the title win in the T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit Sharma's tenure as the skipper in the format ended as he decided to retire from T20Is. The tournament also marked the end of Rahul Dravid's tenure as the Head Coach of India.
Gautam Gambhir, the 2007 T20 and 2011 ODI World Cup winner for India, has taken over the post of the Head Coach after Rahul Dravid. Gambhir has also been a successful captain, leading KKR to two IPL titles (2012 and 2014), and has also tasted success as a mentor with the same franchise, ending their 10-year trophy drought in IPL 2024.
Since his announcement of the post of India's head coach, Gambhir has been active in recruiting his support staff. At present, the former World Cup winner is fighting for Ryan ten Doeschate and Morne Morkel to be a part of his support staff as the fielding and bowling coach respectively.
Who are Ryan ten Doeschate and Morne Morkel, and why does Gambhir want them so desperately?
Morne Morkel, former South African speedster
Morne Morkel has had a very successful career for South Africa in all formats. He was known for the bounce he was able to extract from the wicket because of his height and trouble with the batters.
Morkel played for Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. He was part of the KKR team that won the title in 2014 under Gambhir's captaincy.
After hanging up his boots as a professional player, Morkel has had stints with different franchises and also the Pakistan national team as a bowling coach. Here is a look at Morkel's career in the different formats.
Format | Matches | Wickets | Bowling Average | Strike Rate | Economy Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tests | 86 | 309 | 27.66 | 53.30 | 3.10 |
ODIs | 117 | 188 | 25.32 | 30.60 | 4.95 |
T20Is | 44 | 47 | 25.34 | 20.20 | 7.50 |
IPL for KKR | 29 | 32 | 27.19 | 20.91 | 7.80 |
Ryan ten Doeschate, the former Netherlands player
Ryan ten Doeschate was an all-rounder who represented the Netherlands in international cricket. He came to the limelight during the 2011 ODI World when he scored 119 runs against England. Even though it was a losing cause, fans remember him for the valiant effort that he put in with the bat in the game.
Ten Doeschat represented only the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL from 2011-2014. He was a part of the squad both times when the team won the title under Gambhir's leadership.
After his playing career, Doeschate has worked as the fielding catch for different franchises in different leagues. Currently he is with the LA Knight Riders in MLC 2024 as the fielding coach.
Here is an overview of his professional cricket career.
Format | Matches | Batting Average | Strike Rate | Bowling Average | Economy Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ODIs | 33 | 67.00 | 87.70 | 24.12 | 5.03 |
T20Is | 24 | 41.00 | 132.91 | 18.84 | 7.00 |
IPL for KKR | 29 | 23.29 | 138.72 | 47.00 | 7.23 |
Gautam Gambhir has worked in close quarters with both Ryan ten Doeschate and Morne Morkel in KKR. He knows the work ethics of the two men and seems to have a lot of faith in them. Being aware of what these two might bring to the table as a part of the support staff of India, Gambhir is desperate to bring them on-board.