Former Indian all-rounder Dodda Ganesh has been appointed as the head coach of Kenya’s men’s cricket team ahead of the Africa Qualifiers for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Known for his brief but notable stint with the Indian national team in the late 1990s, the 51-year-old Ganesh was officially unveiled on Tuesday to take charge of the Kenyan side.

Ganesh takes over from Lameck Onyango, who now joins former Kenyan cricketer Joseph Angara and fitness trainer Joseph Asichi in the newly formed backroom staff.

Despite a modest international career with four Test appearances and one ODI, Ganesh enjoyed considerable success in first-class cricket, scoring over 2,000 runs and taking 365 wickets for Karnataka.

He now faces the challenging task of reviving Kenyan cricket, which once competed in five World Cups between 1996 and 2011.

Speaking at his unveiling, Ganesh acknowledged the challenges ahead: “We have a huge task ahead, given that we only have less than three weeks left until the games. The good thing is that around me is a good support staff that I will strive to work together with, and as a family. I want to see us back at the World Cup. I have lots of confidence having been here and played against the players from the past. Results are not produced by one person; it’s a team game.”

Kenya has only qualified for one edition of the T20 World Cup, back in 2007. Since then, the country’s cricketing fortunes have declined due to issues like inadequate infrastructure, lack of funding, and limited opportunities for players.

The Kenya men’s team is set to face Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Denmark, and Jersey in the ICC Division 2 Challenge League in September, followed by the T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers in October.

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