Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have named former Sri Lankan cricketer Mahela Jayawardene as their new head coach for IPL 2025. He will take over from Mark Boucher, who led the team during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Jayawardene notably served as head coach of the Mumbai franchise from 2017 to 2022.
During his tenure, Mumbai secured their third IPL title in 2017, becoming the most successful franchise in league history. Jayawardene also guided the team to two additional trophies in 2019 and 2020, bringing their total to five—only matched by CSK since then.
In 2022, Mahela was appointed Global Head of Cricket, overseeing the growth of MI’s global teams across various leagues. He collaborated with the coaching staff to deliver a trophy for each team, including MI (WPL), MI NY (MLC), and MIE (ILT20).
MI experienced a disastrous season in 2024
Mahela will return as head coach after Mumbai’s disastrous 2024 season, where they finished at the bottom of the points table with only four wins from ten matches under new captain Hardik Pandya.
Pandya re-joined MI before the 2024 season after transferring from Gujarat and was appointed captain, replacing Rohit Sharma, who had led the team to all five titles. However, this decision was unpopular with fans, who expressed their discontent by booing Pandya throughout the season at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, MI owner Akash Ambani expressed his excitement about Mahela’s return, praising his leadership, knowledge, and passion for the game.
“We are thrilled to have Mahela back as the Head Coach of Mumbai Indians. With our global teams having found their footing within their ecosystems, the opportunity to bring him back to MI arose. His leadership, knowledge, and passion for the game have always benefited MI.”
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mark Boucher for his contribution over the last two seasons. His expertise and dedication were pivotal during his time, and has now become an integral member of the MI family,” said Akash Ambani in a media release.
Mahela Jayawardene is thrilled to return as head coach
Mahela Jayawardene shared his enthusiasm about his appointment, stating that his journey with MI has significantly contributed to his growth.
“My journey within the MI family has always been one of evolution. In 2017, the focus was on bringing together a talented group of individuals to play the best cricket ever and we did very well.”
“Now to return, at the same moment in history, where we look ahead at the future and the opportunity to further strengthen the love of MI, build on the vision of the owners, and continue to add to the history of Mumbai Indians, is an exciting challenge I am looking forward to,” said Jayawardene in a release.
Jayawardene’s first task as the new head coach will be to finalize the team’s retentions before the mega auction for IPL 2025. Teams are allowed to retain a maximum of six players, which can include up to five capped players and two uncapped players.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
