Ryan ten Doeschate has returned to the Knight Riders fold, with Knight Riders Sports appointing the former Netherlands international as its head of cricket strategy, a day after the BCCI confirmed the end of his stint with the Indian men’s team.
In the network-wide role, ten Doeschate will oversee the strategic direction of scouting, player recruitment, squad planning and performance evaluation across the Knight Riders franchises. He will also work closely with the coaching and analytics teams to establish a consistent cricketing philosophy across the group.
Ten Doeschate will additionally serve as assistant coach for Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the International League T20 and Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket.
“We are delighted to welcome Tendo back to the Knight Riders family. His deep understanding of our philosophy, combined with his experience across franchise and international cricket, makes him ideally suited for this role,” Knight Riders Sports CEO Venky Mysore said. “He will help shape the next phase of growth across the Knight Riders ecosystem.”
Ten Doeschate said the position offered him an opportunity to strengthen the organisation’s recruitment and player-development structures while helping formulate a long-term strategy across its global teams. “I’m excited to be back with the Knight Riders in this role. This is a unique opportunity to work with the coaching & analytics teams across our global franchises to strengthen our scouting/player development systems, and to build a long-term cricket strategy,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Ten Doeschate said the position offered him an opportunity to strengthen the organisation’s recruitment and player-development structures while helping formulate a long-term strategy across its global teams. “I’m excited to be back with the Knight Riders in this role. This is a unique opportunity to work with the coaching & analytics teams across our global franchises to strengthen our scouting/player development systems, and to build a long-term cricket strategy,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Ten Doeschate returns to familiar surroundings
The appointment comes immediately after ten Doeschate’s contract as India’s assistant coach ended following the white-ball tour of England earlier this month. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the board had not extended his contract and would appoint a replacement.
Ten Doeschate had earlier informed the board of his desire to leave the Indian set-up, with the demands of the international calendar and the extensive travel involved reportedly influencing his decision. He had been personally selected by India head coach Gautam Gambhir to join his support staff in 2024.
His move back to the Knight Riders represents a return to an organisation with which he has shared a long association. Ten Doeschate played for Kolkata Knight Riders between 2011 and 2015 and was part of their IPL title-winning squads in 2012 and 2014. He later returned to the franchise as a member of its coaching staff and worked as KKR’s fielding coach during its run to the 2024 IPL title. He subsequently left the franchise to join Gambhir in the Indian team set-up.
His latest position, however, carries a wider mandate than a conventional franchise coaching appointment. Rather than being attached solely to KKR, ten Doeschate will now help shape recruitment, development and performance strategy across the Knight Riders’ expanding global network.