Zubin Bharucha named Mumbai Indians Director of Performance for IPL 2027

Mumbai Indians on Saturday appointed Zubin Bharucha as Director of Performance for the franchise ahead of the 2027 Indian Premier League. The move is part of the club’s effort to rebuild its core support structure ahead of the next season.

The five-time IPL champions finished ninth in the last edition, winning only 4 out of their 9 matches despite a star-studded lineup. The team has not won a title in the past six years and has not qualified for a final since 2020, when they last won it. The Ambani-owned side have switched between captaincy options and coaches without producing the desired results. Mumbai Indians’ last IPL triumph came in the 2020 season under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.

Bharucha is a former Indian first-class cricketer who represented Bombay and later played for Surrey. His Test cricket numbers as a right-handed opening batsman were not particularly impressive, but his career as a performance instructor has been far more successful. Bharucha’s decision to transition from his career as a player to sports administration played a major role in his success.

He spent years with the Rajasthan Royals working in different leadership and development roles. He later served as their Director of Cricket Operations after returning to the franchise in 2018, following two years as Technical Director with Delhi Daredevils (Now Delhi Capitals). During his days with the Rajasthan Royals, he was involved in the development of young players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

During his stint with the Delhi Daredevils, he had Sanju Samson under his wing. The role Bharucha will occupy primarily involves identifying talent and creating pathways that enable young cricketers to develop and reach the highest level. His appointment by the Mumbai Indians clearly indicates that, rather than relying solely on star players, MI are focusing on grooming young talents.

Mumbai have, over the years, given rise to players like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma. The franchise’s history of promoting young talent is noted alongside the decision to bring Bharucha into the performance setup.

Bharucha is set to work for the Mumbai Indians franchise alongside its existing multidisciplinary leadership group ahead of IPL 2027.