Former Indian and Karnataka medium pacer, Dodda Ganesh, has been named the head coach of the Kenya men's cricket team. His appointment, which began on August 13, is initially set for one year and will include guiding Kenya through the ICC Division 2 Challenge League in September and the T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers in October.
Ganesh explained that his main goal is to qualify for both the ODI and T20 World Cups. He mentioned that preparations have already begun, although time is limited before the first tournament. Currently, he is observing local league matches and planning to conduct fitness tests as part of the process.
Now 51, Ganesh represented India in five international matches—four Tests and one ODI—between January and April 1997, though his international career yielded modest results with just five wickets in Test cricket and one in ODIs. However, he enjoyed a successful domestic career with Karnataka, playing from the 1994-95 season until 2004-05, during which he took 365 wickets in 104 first-class matches and 128 wickets in 89 List A games. Ganesh’s connection to Kenya dates back to 2000 when, under the arrangement of then Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) secretary Brijesh Patel, the Karnataka team toured Kenya for a series of limited-overs matches. During that tour, Ganesh played seven games and notably took 6 for 31 against a Kenya Cricket Association XI.
Reflecting on his past experiences in Kenya, Ganesh shared that he is familiar with the conditions and feels comfortable working there. He expressed optimism about the support from Kenya Cricket and is eager to fulfill his new role's responsibilities.
After retiring from cricket, Ganesh briefly ventured into politics before returning to the sport as a coach. He has previously worked with Goa and Manipur in India’s domestic circuit, served as a coach at the KSCA academy, and contributed to the KSCA cricket advisory committee.
In his role with the Kenyan team, Ganesh will be supported by former Kenyan internationals Lameck Onyango and Joseph Angara.
Kenya, once a rising power in world cricket—highlighted by their 2003 World Cup semi-final appearance—has faced a decline in recent years, largely due to off-field issues such as corruption allegations and a threatened players' strike in 2010. Despite gaining ICC Associate status in 1981 and ODI status in 1996, Kenya lost its ODI status in 2014 after finishing fifth in the World Cup qualifiers. The team's 2003 World Cup success came under the guidance of another Indian coach, Sandeep Patil.