Why Ryan ten Doeschate Left India's Coaching Staff for KKR

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Ryan ten Doeschate has left his role as India's assistant coach to rejoin KKR, while fielding coach T Dilip is also out. Here's what this means for both teams.

Ryan ten Doeschate has officially stepped down as India's men's assistant coach after the white-ball series in England wrapped up. He informed the BCCI about his decision while the team was still in the UK, where India lost both the T20I and ODI series. Now, he's set to rejoin the Kolkata Knight Riders in a coaching role. It's a move that makes a lot of sense when you look at his history with the franchise. But it also leaves a noticeable gap in India's support staff right before a busy stretch of international cricket. ### T Dilip Is Also Out T Dilip, India's fielding coach, won't get a contract extension either. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed to PTI that ten Doeschate's contract ended on June 10, while Dilip's ended on June 8. Saikia said the board kept both coaches on until the UK tour finished, but they won't extend their terms beyond that. He also clarified that there was no question of accepting resignations, since the contracts had simply run their course. The BCCI is currently talking with two or three candidates for the fielding coach position and expects to finalize a name within a day or two, ahead of India's tour of Sri Lanka in August. ### A Quick Look at Ten Doeschate's Time With India Ten Doeschate joined the India setup after Gautam Gambhir took over as head coach from Rahul Dravid, following the team's 2024 T20 World Cup win. Gambhir handpicked him for the role, and he worked across both batting and fielding departments during his tenure. The team saw major success during this period. India secured victory at the 2025 Champions Trophy, the 2025 Asia Cup, and retained their 2026 Men's T20 World Cup trophy. That's a pretty impressive resume for any coach. However, the Test team was under-performing and going through a transition period. India couldn't win the 2025-26 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, and also suffered home series defeats to New Zealand and South Africa, losing 0-3 and 0-2 respectively. So while the white-ball side flourished, the red-ball format clearly had its struggles. ### What This Means for KKR At KKR, ten Doeschate will reunite with Abhishek Nayar, another coach with deep ties to the franchise. The two had briefly worked together as assistant coaches in the India setup, and before that, they had also coached together at KKR. Ten Doeschate's history with the Kolkata franchise goes all the way back to his playing days. He won two IPL titles with KKR, in 2012 and 2014, and later returned as fielding coach in 2022. He remained part of the coaching staff until 2024, a stretch that included a title win under Chandrakant Pandit as head coach and Gambhir as mentor. He left that role once Gambhir moved on to coach the national team. Now, he's coming back to familiar ground. For KKR fans, this is probably exciting news. The franchise is getting someone who knows the culture, the players, and the pressure of IPL cricket inside and out. ### Dilip's Second Stint Comes to an End Dilip is exiting after his second spell with the Indian team. He first served as fielding coach from 2021 until the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He returned for a second stint during India's Test tour of the UK in 2025, which lasted a year. His departure, combined with ten Doeschate's exit, means the BCCI has some work to do. They need to rebuild the support staff before the Sri Lanka tour gets underway. The board hasn't named a timeline for appointing ten Doeschate's replacement as assistant coach, though the fielding coach decision is expected imminently. ### What's Next for Team India? Here's a quick rundown of where things stand: - The fielding coach role should be filled within a couple of days - The assistant coach position remains open, with no clear timeline - India's next assignment is the Sri Lanka tour in August - KKR gains a proven coach with deep IPL experience It's a bit of a transitional moment for Indian cricket. The white-ball team is riding high, but the Test side needs attention. Bringing in fresh voices could help, but it also means losing the continuity that ten Doeschate and Dilip provided. For ten Doeschate, this feels less like a step back and more like a homecoming. He's returning to a franchise where he's already a legend. And for KKR, getting someone with his pedigree back in the dugout could be a major boost heading into the next season.

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