Former Indian cricketer Dodda Ganesh was appointed as the head coach of the Kenya national cricket team on Tuesday, August 13.
Dodda Ganesh confirmed his appointment as head coach of the Kenyan team on his official social media account, adding that he feels “privileged to lead the team.”
Dodda Ganesh made his international debut for India in a Test match against South Africa in January 1997. He played four Test matches in his career, taking 5 wickets at an average of 57.4.
He also played one ODI match for India. He last played for India in a Test match against West Indies in April 1997.
Ganesh, now 51, was a standout player for Karnataka in Indian domestic cricket. The former right-arm pace bowler took 365 wickets in 104 first-class matches and 128 wickets in 89 List A games. Ganesh brings extensive coaching experience and aims to revitalise Kenya’s cricket landscape.
Privileged to be appointed as head coach: Dodda Ganesh
On Tuesday, August 13, at the Sikh Union Club, it was announced that Dodda Ganesh would be the new head coach of the Kenyan cricket team. Ganesh shared the news on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “It is a privilege to be appointed as the head coach of the Kenyan cricket team.”
Privileged to be appointed as Head Coach of the Kenya Cricket Team.
-Dodda Ganesh Dodda Ganesh (@doddaganesha) August 14, 2024
Dodda Ganesh has replaced Lameck Onyango as Kenya’s head coach. Ganesh will be supported by Onyango, Joseph Angara and Joseph Asichi. His first assignments as head coach of the Kenya team will be the ICC Division 2 Challenge League in September and the African T20 World Cup qualifiers in October.
My first vision is to qualify for the World Cup – Dodda Ganesh
After being appointed as Kenya’s head coach by chief executive Ronald Bukusi, Dodda Ganesh said his main focus is to qualify for the World Cup. Ganesh added that he was impressed by the team’s performance in the matches he watched on YouTube.
“My first vision is to qualify for the World Cup. I have seen the dedication and hard work of the players. I am not interested in the past but I strongly believe that Kenyans possess the spirit of champions. I have been watching Kenyan cricket matches on YouTube and I am impressed with the talent I see. It is evident that the players are in good form,” Ganesh said (via 777 score).
Kenya participated in five consecutive ODI World Cups between 1996 and 2011. The team advanced to the semi-finals in the 2003 edition but lost to Team India. They also played in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. The Kenyan team also participated in three editions of the Champions Trophy between 2000 and 2004.
Kenya lost its ODI status after failing to qualify from the 2014 Cricket World Cup Qualifier. The ICC Division 2 Challenge League aims to help Kenya return to the ODI World Cup, which will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in 2027.
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