Ten on ten: Ryan ten Doeschate with his favourite banana pizza at the Eden Pavilion, ITC Sonar Calcutta. Picture by Bhubaneswarananda Halder

He’ll tell you he’s not popular with the ladies. He’ll tell you he likes her to be a plain Jane. And he’ll tell you that he’ll wear a shirt for “a potentially nice girl”. That’s Ryan ten Doeschate. A t2 chat with the South Africa-born KKR all-rounder who swings it for Netherlands at ITC Sonar Calcutta on Wednesday, a day after the Eden washout.

What did you guys do after the match was called off on Tuesday?

We watched football, Champions League, had a few drinks downstairs [at Dublin] and socialised with some of the Deccan (Chargers) boys. I am an Arsenal supporter, I watched the game (Chelsea vs Barcelona) with Shakib (Al Hasan) and he was devastated. He is a big Barcelona fan. I am not too bothered about Spanish football, I like English football.

Ryan ten Doeschate is a favourite with the women here. So, you must be making your teammates jealous…

I have never heard that before! All that I hear about is Shakib and Iqi (Iqbal Abdulla). That’s all that the girls want to talk about. Always tweeting about Shakib and Iqbal! And may be Brett Lee…

What do you think is most attractive about Calcutta women?

I think Indian women, in general, are very beautiful, very respectful and dignified… I find that very attractive. The way they carry themselves… very beautiful people.

You are aggressive on the field and chilled-out off it. But what’s Ryan like as a boyfriend?

Ryan hasn’t been a boyfriend for a very long time… about two years. But I’m definitely more chilled than aggressive. I will describe myself as… well, nice company and I am quite a soft person actually. I leave my aggressiveness on the field.... A good relationship is something to cherish. But I am enjoying being single as well.

Who is a Ryan girl?

Hmmm… I am not really picky in terms of looks. I like somebody who is really confident and somebody who is a lot of fun. The most endearing factor about a woman is her graciousness and her femininity… the way she carries herself as a woman is more important than looking flash and all made-up. I like plain girls. I have got into a lot of trouble for saying that in the past, when I have tried to compliment girls by saying they are plain!

They took offence?

Yeah... but that’s a compliment for me. If you can come out looking plain and still catch my eye… then that’s a massive compliment.

We carried a really cute picture of you for our Kiddie Knights contest. But you were blonde!

That’s definitely me! I was very blonde when I was young. Too much time in England may be (led to the change in hair colour).

Do you experiment with your style?

No, no… I am very style unconscious. I am pretty relaxed. I am not too caught up in how I look. Just like to dress nice and comfortably… not too worried about my hair.

What’s your style?

Umm... like how I am dressed right now… jeans and flip-flops… ideally a pair of shorts… but obviously, sometimes you need to dress up a little smarter. When the occasion demands, I like to wear a nice and smart suit and shirt… very very rarely though… for special occasions…

Like a date?

No, definitely not for a date…. I’ll put a shirt on… if it is one of those dates… a potentially nice girl, I’ll wear a shirt and a pair of jeans and a nice pair of shoes. No jackets and ties… that’s not my style.

Have you been around Calcutta?

Yeah… a little bit… I try getting out of the hotel… There is Park Street. I try to go there for coffee… to the bookstore. I went to the mall the other day… South City Mall. The number of people who recognise you in this place!!! Obviously back home no one cares. Here everyone just comes up to you and they want to say ‘hello’ and get a photo. It gets a bit crazy, to be honest.

Have you felt the city’s passion for cricket?

There is a lot of passion as far as cricket goes. You see them sitting out in the rain, waiting for us to play… they come and see our practice sessions, just for a quick view of Gauti (Gautam Gambhir) and Yusuf (Pathan) or Jacques (Kallis)… when you go to the malls, (it is) absolutely crazy! They also tweet you. The following that the team has is fantastic. I can only compare this fanaticism to English football and European football. Fantastic to be a part of it!

Tell us some KKR dressing room secrets...

Will I give you some pictures?! (Laughs) Jacques and Gauti are very quiet guys. Most of the young Indian guys are also very quiet. Pranksters have to be Brett… Iqi is also very naughty. He is always laughing and making jokes. Mogs (Eoin Morgan) and Baz (Brendon McCullum) are probably the most social guys… always up for having a beer or meeting for lunch. The music men are again Brett and analyst Srikki (A.R. Srikkanth).

What about you?

I am pretty quiet… I am in-between all the groups…

But you do tweet often...

I don’t tweet that much. I like to tweet small, quirky things... don’t try to be too serious and talk about cricket, especially when things don’t go too well, I am not one to harp about it... I just try to make my friends laugh.

And you are quite a dancer, right?

I hate dancing! I am a terrible dancer! I was called to dance with Shah Rukh (Khan) and Chris Gayle at one of the after-parties two weeks ago. I was standing next to the ramp and Shah Rukh grabbed me. I was like ‘No, no, no!’ I could not get away. I was on the stage dancing to that Challo song... Chammak challo. I was struggling for rhythm and making a fool of myself!

Did Shah Rukh teach you a few steps?

I was just copying him... he is very good.

Have you watched his films?

I watched My Name is Khan. Fabulous movie, everything, you know... the plot, the acting, the pyaar... the deeper messages about being a good person... the whole Hindu-Muslim thing. I was very impressed. I don’t know Hindi and I don’t know Bollywood, but someone put me on to this movie and I have recommended it to loads of friends back home. I am keen to watch a few more. I want to watch Asoka. I am very keen on Indian history.

Any Indian actress you like?

Hmmm... all of them! Priyanka is very good-looking. Then... is it Deepika?

So, have you met Priyanka Chopra?

She has been to some of our parties.. but no, never spoken to her.... I am not really into this whole celebrity culture.... I don’t freak out if I see someone.

So, who is a celebrity for you?

Robin van Persie. South Africans don’t fuss about celebrities. They don’t really have celebrities. I like Lionel Messi.... I guess people who excel in sports consistently... the greats of the modern times.

Is there any game you love other than cricket?

Rugby... I played rugby till I was 21 and then started playing cricket professionally. Also, I really like my football... supporting and playing a bit. It is a great package, English football. I am quite a passionate follower of Arsenal.

What about cricketing heroes?

When I was growing up in South Africa, there was apartheid. I never got to see international cricket till I was a lot older. So, guys I have looked up to are all South Africans... Jonty Rhodes, Hansie Cronje, Kepler Wessels.

Finally, what’s the pizza you are digging into?

Banana pizza, cannot go wrong with that one... no one knows about banana on a pizza here... very well-known in South Africa. I like English-Indian food... Butter Chicken... I also tasted sweet balls... the white ones... what’s it called? [Rosogolla] And the brown ones too [gulab jamun].