Ryan ten Doeschate has stepped down as India’s men’s assistant coach, bringing an end to his two-year stint with the national team, India Today has learned.
Ten Doeschate’s final assignment was India’s white-ball tour of England, where he informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of his decision to leave, despite being offered an extension until 2027 by the BCCI, which was impressed by his contributions to the team’s success.
Although the BCCI was keen to retain him, the former Netherlands all-rounder declined the offer, citing personal reasons. With a young family, Ten Doeschate opted to step away from the demands of international cricket and its relentless travel schedule, choosing to spend more time with his loved ones.
His departure comes ahead of India’s next assignment, a three-Test series against Sri Lanka starting on August 15. The BCCI is now expected to finalise Gautam Gambhir’s support staff before the squad departs for the tour.
Ten Doeschate joined the Indian coaching setup in July 2024 after Gambhir succeeded Rahul Dravid as head coach following India’s T20 World Cup triumph. Having worked closely with Gambhir during their successful stint at Kolkata Knight Riders, the former Netherlands all-rounder was brought into the national setup alongside bowling coach Morne Morkel.
During his tenure, Ten Doeschate worked across multiple departments, assisting with batting preparation, fielding drills and tactical planning despite not having a specialist coaching designation. India won the 2025 Asia Cup and successfully defended the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026 during his stint, although the Test side endured a difficult period, losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia before suffering series defeats against New Zealand and South Africa.
India have since completed their T20I tour of Zimbabwe under interim head coach VVS Laxman, who guided a second-string side to a 3-0 series sweep. Gambhir is set to return for the Sri Lanka Tests, with Ten Doeschate’s exit leaving a vacancy in the coaching group ahead of the August 15 opener.
WHY DID TEN DOESCHATE STEP DOWN?
An earlier PTI report said Ten Doeschate had grown increasingly frustrated by the lack of clarity surrounding his responsibilities within the Indian coaching setup. He is understood to have accepted the role after receiving assurances that he would eventually become India’s specialist fielding coach, but that position continued to be held by T Dilip after the latter was handed a contract extension.
Instead, Ten Doeschate remained an all-round assistant coach without a clearly defined portfolio. Although the BCCI was keen to retain him beyond his current contract, he is believed to have decided that the England tour would be his final assignment with the Indian team.
His departure also comes at a time when the composition of Gambhir’s support staff remains under review, with the futures of Dilip and bowling coach Morne Morkel yet to be finalised.
WHAT NEXT FOR TEN DOESCHATE?
The 45-year-old is expected to return to the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders, where he enjoyed a long association as both a player and coach.
Ten Doeschate was part of KKR’s title-winning squads in 2012 and 2014 before returning as the franchise’s fielding coach in 2022. He remained with the Kolkata-based outfit until joining the Indian team in 2024 following Gambhir’s appointment as head coach.
A return to the franchise would also reunite him with Abhishek Nayar, with whom he previously worked at KKR and briefly in the Indian setup. Meanwhile, the BCCI is expected to complete its coaching staff ahead of the Sri Lanka Test series, India’s first red-ball assignment since the England tour.
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