Ronchi to leave New Zealand coaching role after India series

Ronchi to leave New Zealand coaching role after India series

New Zealand batting coach Luke Ronchi will step down from his role at the end of this year's home series against India, having accepted the head coach position with the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League.

Ronchi, who has served as New Zealand's full-time batting coach since 2020 after succeeding Peter Fulton, will remain with the national side through the India series before taking up his new assignment in Australia.

The former Australia and New Zealand international was part of the coaching setup during a highly successful period for the national team, including the ICC World Test Championship triumph in 2021, appearances in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup finals in 2021 and 2026, and a run to the summit clash at the 2025 Champions Trophy. He also oversaw New Zealand's historic 3-0 Test series win and ODI series wins in India across 2024 and 2026, as well as the recent Test series victory in England.

New Zealand Test captain Tom Latham paid tribute to Ronchi's contribution. "He's such a valued member of this group… he understands the environment and culture and is a huge driver of that. Everyone's game has gone from strength to strength under his guidance. We'll miss him, but we wish him all the best."

Reflecting on his six years with the national side, Ronchi said: "Coming back to the national setup has been a dream come true. It has always been my goal to help this team and the batters perform at the highest level. There have been some pretty memorable moments that I'm proud to have been part of."

New Zealand Cricket said it would announce Ronchi's successor in due course.