Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jaywardene has made a comeback to the Mumbai Indians as head coach, the franchise announced on Sunday.
Jayawardene had coached MI from 2017 to 2022 during which time he won the IPL title three times, including in his very first season. He was then replaced by former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher before IPL 2023.
But MI haven't performed to potential under Boucher, reaching the playoffs in 2023 before crashing out in the league stage last year which is why Jayawardene has been brought back.
They had even replaced captain Rohit Sharma with all-rounder Hardik Pandya ahead of last season, much to the disappointment of the fans, but that failed to turn their fortunes around in IPL 2024 where they lost 10 out of the 14 league games to finish last in the 10-team tournament.
Mahela comes back to revive MI
"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,” Jayawardene said.
He was working as the Global Head of Cricket at MI after his coaching stint in 2022, overseeing the expansion of the franchise's global teams across different leagues, working with the coaching staff and delivering a trophy each - with MI (WPL), MI NY (MLC) and MIE (ILT20).
"With each of these teams having a set coaching staff, who also coach multiple teams in the MI family mirroring the ethos, style of play and decision-making that elevate the cricket played by the MI OneFamily, Mahela’s role has now again evolved within the MI ecosystem," MI said in its statement.
