Ryan ten Doeschate

One of the greatest stroke makers to ever play for the Netherlands, Ryan ten Doeschate is a professional Dutch cricketer who has made a name for himself in almost every franchise cricket around the world. More than a handy bowler, he can turn games with both bat and ball.

Though Doeschate plays for the Netherlands, he was actually born in South Africa where he learnt to play cricket at a very young age. Surprisingly, Doeschate started doing well on the cricket field quite late in life. As a result, by the time he was ready to play serious cricket, he was already in his 20s. 

Ryan ten Doeschate emerged on the international cricketing scene with a bang in 2006 during Intercontinental Cup, where he scored an unbeaten 259. He was also the leading wicket-taker in the tournament for the Netherlands.  In 33 ODIs, he scored 1,541 runs at a staggering average of 67 with five centuries and nine fifties. He scored two tons in the 2011 World Cup, one of which nearly resulted in a defeat for England.

Picked up by the Indian Premier League (IPL) giants KKR, he became the first player from the associate nations to grace the cash-rich league. Though he has played for such a vast number of sides, Doeschate would perhaps identify the most with Essex, for whom he has played for since 2003. Having amassed over 9000 runs and 200 wickets, he was a pioneer in County cricket. 

Quite unsurprisingly, Doeschate was named ICC Associate cricketer of the year three times in 2008, 2010, and 2011. Doeschate stopped playing for the Netherlands and has somewhat become a Twenty20 freelancer, playing across the globe in various continents. His hard-hitting abilities, ability to take wickets on a consistent basis made him a stand-out player. 

(As of May 2021)