Mahela Jayawardene steps down as Mumbai Indians head coach ahead of IPL 2027

Mumbai Indians announced on Saturday, October 17, that Mahela Jayawardene is stepping down as the franchise's head coach ahead of the Indian Premier League 2027 season. The decision concludes a ten-season journey with the team, during which Jayawardene guided Mumbai Indians to three of their five championship titles in 2017, 2019, and 2020.

Initially appointed ahead of the 2017 season, Jayawardene served as head coach until 2022 before taking on the role of Global Head of Performance as the organization expanded into overseas leagues such as the SA20, ILT20, and MLC. After a difficult 2024 campaign, he returned to the head coach position by replacing Mark Boucher prior to the 2025 season, leading the squad to Qualifier 2. However, the subsequent 2026 season was disappointing, with the team finishing second from the bottom of the standings.

Team owner Nita Ambani thanked Jayawardene for his integrity, calm leadership, and unwavering commitment over the years. Jayawardene described his time with the franchise as a very special part of his journey that he will always treasure, expressing pride in their collective achievements and wishing the team success in the future. As a result of this departure, Mumbai Indians will now search for a new head coach prior to the mid-November player retention deadline for the IPL 2027 tournament.