For Ryan ten Doeschat, it’s been a journey back home.
After nearly two years as an assistant coach with the Indian men’s cricket team, the former Netherlands all-rounder is back in familiar territory, having joined Knight Riders Sports in a newly created leadership post, which stretches well beyond the field. In his new role as the Head of Cricket Strategy for the sports business group, ten Doeschate will be responsible for the cricket strategy across Knight Riders Sports’ global ecosystem of teams.
The move marks Knight Riders Sports’ intent to pursue a united approach to the game, with ten Doeschate at the helm of the franchise group’s scouting, recruitment, and retention strategies.
Ryan ten Doeschate: A Global Role Across the Knight Riders Ecosystem
Knight Riders Sports announced that the 46-year-old will oversee cricket strategy and performance across its global franchises while helping coaching and analytical departments to develop a distinctive playing identity for the Knight Riders brand.
In addition to his strategic role, Ryan ten Doeschate has agreed to serve as assistant coach of Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20, and Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket. Thus, he will coach all three Knight Riders’ regional tournaments.
Knight Riders Sports CEO Venky Mysore expressed his delight that Ryan ten Doeschate has agreed to join Knight Riders once again.
“We are delighted to welcome Tendo back to the Knight Riders family. His intimate understanding of our franchise, along with his credentials in both franchise and international cricket, makes him the perfect fit for this role. Tendo will play a pivotal role in taking the Knight Riders ecosystem to the next level,” said Venky Mysore.
Ryan Ten Doeschate was pleased to return to the Knight Riders and contribute to the development of their successful cricket system.
“I’m thrilled to return to the Knight Riders in this new role. This is a fantastic opportunity for me to work with the coaching staff and analytics departments of our various global franchises. I aim to use my experience to contribute to strengthening the scouting and player development processes, as well as long-term cricket strategy, of the Knight Riders,” said ten Doeschate.
Closing the India Chapter
The new position of ten Doeschate as the Head of Cricket Strategy for Knight Riders Sports will require a lot of commitment. He was recently appointed assistant coach of the Indian cricket team but decided to quit his post after the end-of-year white-ball series against England.
He joined the Indian cricket team coaching staff in 2024 when Gautam Gambhir was hired as the head coach. He was in charge of the batting and fielding practices. Under his supervision, India won the 2025 Asia Cup and retained the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title in 2026. However, the Indian Test team had a dismal performance, posting successive series defeats against New Zealand and South Africa at home and losing the Border-Gavaskar Test series in Australia. With his work with the Indian cricket team having come to a close, he has decided to move on to his next challenge with Knight Riders.
Back Where It All Began
Almost nobody knows the Knight Riders’ ethos better than Ryan ten Doeschate. He was a member of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) back in 2011. He played a crucial role in the franchise’s victories in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2012 and 2014. He was an assistant coach for KKR until he retired as a player. He rejoined KKR in 2022 and was a part of the coaching staff that led the franchise to win the IPL title for the third time in 2024.
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Now, he will be supervising the operations of not just KKR but also other Knight Riders’ global franchises. Ryan Ten Doeschate feels that his knowledge of cricket and the Knight Riders’ organizational structure will enable him to strengthen the cricket strategy and planning of the Knight Riders Sports.
“This assignment is a unique opportunity for me to contribute to the growth of the Knight Riders ecosystem in the years to come. I look forward to working closely with the Knight Riders Cricket Performance team, as well as the analytical and scouting departments of our various global franchises, to provide a long-term vision and realize the potential of Knight Riders at all levels – junior and senior, men’s and women’s, franchise and international,” said Ryan ten Doeschate.
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