Kieron Pollard appointed Mumbai Indians head coach; former MI players turned coaches
On October 24, 2026, Mumbai Indians named Kieron Pollard their head coach for IPL 2027. Several former Mumbai players have returned to the franchise in coaching and support roles in recent years.
The Indian Premier League has offered retired cricketers pathways into coaching and backroom positions. Mumbai Indians, a franchise with five IPL titles, has seen multiple ex-players rejoin its staff. Ahead of IPL 2027 the club made a major change to its coaching personnel.
Parthiv Patel scored 2,848 runs in 139 IPL matches for Mumbai Indians and was part of the team’s title-winning campaigns in 2015 and 2017. His best season for MI came in 2017 when he scored 395 runs. After retiring from professional cricket in 2020, Parthiv joined Mumbai as a talent scout, working on batting and wicketkeeping talent.
Lasith Malinga took 170 wickets in 122 IPL matches for Mumbai Indians and played a key role in four of the franchise’s IPL title wins. In the 2019 final against Chennai Super Kings he defended seven runs in the final over and helped MI win by one run. After retiring as a player, Malinga returned to Mumbai Indians as a bowling coach in 2024; his experience in death bowling and yorkers has made him a valuable part of the team’s coaching setup.
Shaun Pollock represented Mumbai Indians in the first IPL season in 2008, appearing in 13 matches, scoring 147 runs and taking 11 wickets. He ended his playing career in 2008 and became Mumbai Indians’ head coach for the 2009 season, one of the earliest examples of a former MI player moving directly into a coaching role with the franchise.
Kieron Pollard joined Mumbai Indians in 2010, played 189 IPL matches for the franchise, scored 3,412 runs at a strike rate of 147.32 and took 69 wickets. He was part of all five of MI’s IPL title-winning campaigns in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, retired as an IPL player in 2022 and remained with the franchise as a batting coach before his promotion.
The club announced Pollard will replace Mahela Jayawardene as head coach. Pollard will now take charge as MI look to improve their performance in IPL 2027.