Ryan Ten Doeschate returns to the Knight Riders as head of cricket strategy after stepping down as India’s assistant coach

Former India assistant coach Ryan Ten Deutschat has returned to the Knight Riders setup following his appointment as Head of Cricket Strategy at Knight Riders Sports, a role that will see him oversee cricket strategy across the franchise’s global squads. The appointment was made shortly after his two-year contract with the Indian team expired following a limited-overs tour of England, with the former Dutchman not seeking an extension.

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

Additionally, Ten Dewichat 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 the Major League Cricket.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tendo back to the Knight Riders family,” said Venky Mysore, CEO of Knight Riders Sports. “His deep understanding of our philosophy, coupled with his experience across franchise and international cricket, makes him an ideal fit for this role. He will help shape the next phase of growth across the Knight Riders ecosystem.”

Ten Doeschate said he is excited to return to the Knight Riders setting. “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 build a long-term cricket strategy,” he said.

The appointment formalizes a move that was expected after Ten Dewichat informed the BCCI earlier this month of his desire to step down from his position as India’s assistant coach. As reported by Cricbuzz The decision was driven by personal reasons, as Ten Deutschat was keen to spend more time with his family in London after the end of his two-year contract.

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