Former Indian all-rounder Dodda Ganesh has been appointed as the head coach of the Kenyan men’s cricket team ahead of the Africa qualifiers for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Despite playing only four Tests and one ODI for India, the 51-year-old Ganesh has a strong domestic record, having scored over 2000 runs and taken 365 wickets for Karnataka in first-class cricket. He now faces the tough challenge of reviving Kenyan cricket’s glory days, when the team participated in five World Cups between 1996 and 2011.
Kenya, an Associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), had its best performance in 2003, reaching the semifinals of the ODI World Cup in South Africa under the guidance of Indian coach Sandeep Patil. Kenya has only qualified for one T20 World Cup, which was held in 2007.
Since then, Kenyan cricket has declined steadily. In September, they will compete in the ICC Division Two Challenge League, facing teams like Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Denmark, and Jersey. In October, they will play in the T20 World Cup Africa qualifiers. The 2026 T20 World Cup will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Ganesh expressed his excitement about this new role. He posted on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), saying, “It is an honor to be appointed as the head coach of the Kenya cricket team.” In a video shared by the media, Ganesh can be seen interacting with senior officials of Kenyan cricket. Former Kenyan international players Lameck Onyango and Joseph Angara will assist Ganesh as coaches.
