Ryan ten Doeschate returns to Knight Riders as Head of Cricket Strategy

Former India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has returned to the Knight Riders setup after being appointed Head of Cricket Strategy at Knight Riders Sports, a role that will see him oversee cricket strategy across the franchise's global teams. The appointment was made shortly after his two-year contract with the Indian team ended following the limited-overs tour of England, with the former Netherlands all-rounder not seeking an extension.

In his new role, ten Doeschate will oversee cricket strategy, talent identification, player recruitment, squad planning and performance evaluation across the Knight Riders network. He will also work closely with the coaching groups to develop a unified cricketing philosophy across the franchise's teams.

In addition, ten Doeschate will serve as assistant coach for Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20 and Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket.

"We are delighted to welcome Tendo back to the Knight Riders family," Knight Riders Sports CEO Venky Mysore said. "His deep understanding of our philosophy, combined with his experience across franchise and international cricket, makes him ideally suited for this role. He will help shape the next phase of growth across the Knight Riders ecosystem."

Ten Doeschate said he was excited to return to the Knight Riders setup. "This is a unique opportunity to work with the coaching and analytics teams across our global franchises to strengthen our scouting and player development systems, and to build a long-term cricket strategy," he said.

The appointment formalises a move that had been expected after ten Doeschate informed the BCCI earlier this month that he wished to step away from his role as India's assistant coach. Cricbuzz had reported that the decision was driven by personal reasons, with ten Doeschate keen to spend more time with his family in London after completing his two-year contract.

Ten Doeschate first joined Kolkata Knight Riders as a player in 2011 and was part of their IPL title-winning squads in 2012 and 2014. He returned to the franchise as a coach in 2022 and was a member of the support staff that helped KKR secure their third IPL title in 2024 before joining Gautam Gambhir's India coaching staff later that year.

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