India coach steps down ahead of Sri Lanka series, set to join Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2027

Ryan ten Doeschate has stepped down as assistant coach of the India men's cricket team. Earlier in the year, the former Netherlands cricketer issued a statement, confirming his desire to step aside after not being able to contribute heavily. He was initially promised to be named the fielding coach, but with the presence of T Dilip, Doeschate has only served as an assistant. 

He is now expected to return to the Indian Premier League, with Kolkata Knight Riders set to add him to their coaching staff, as Cricinfo reported. His move marks a reunion with a franchise where he previously enjoyed success both as a player and as a member of the support staff.

Ten Doeschate joined the Indian team after a change in the coaching personnel following Rahul Dravid stepped down following India's successful 2024 T20 World Cup campaign. Since then, he worked across batting and fielding responsibilities, but he didn’t have a permanent role in the team. 

His departure comes after India's difficult white-ball tour of England, where the visitors were beaten in both T20Is and ODIs.

The move will also



reunite Ten Doeschate with Abhishek Nayar, with whom he has shared coaching responsibilities in the past. The two previously served together in India's support staff and had earlier worked alongside each other at Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Dutchman's association with the IPL franchise stretches back more than a decade. As a player, he was part of Kolkata Knight Riders' title-winning squads in 2012 and 2014 before returning to the franchise in 2022 as fielding coach. He remained with KKR until 2024, a period that included another IPL triumph achieved under head coach Chandrakant Pandit. He left the franchise after BCCI appointed him in 2024.

During Ten Doeschate's tenure with the national team, India added two major limited-overs trophies to their cabinet by winning the 2025 Asia Cup and successfully defending the Men's T20 World Cup in 2026.

However, the team's performances in Test cricket proved far less successful during the same period. India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on their tour of Australia before suffering home Test series defeats against New Zealand and South Africa by margins of 3-0 and 2-0, respectively.