Mumbai Indians have reappointed former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene as their head coach for IPL 2025, replacing Mark Boucher. Under Boucher’s leadership, the franchise struggled in IPL 2024, finishing at the bottom of the table.
Jayawardene previously served as Mumbai’s head coach from 2017 to 2022, leading the team to three T20 titles during that time. His return comes at a crucial moment as the franchise looks to strengthen its performance and build on the vision of the owners. Jayawardene expressed enthusiasm about rejoining the MI family, stating, “My journey within the MI family has always been one of evolution. It is an exciting challenge I am looking forward to.”
Following his initial tenure as head coach, Jayawardene took on a broader role in 2022 as the global head of performance for the franchise. In this capacity, he oversaw coaching and scouting for all four teams owned by the Mumbai franchise: Mumbai Indians in the IPL, MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20, MI Cape Town in the SA20, and MI New York in the MLC.
Akash Ambani, the owner of Mumbai Indians, expressed excitement about Jayawardene’s return. He noted that, not only has his leadership always benefitted the team, but also his passion for the game has had a significant impact.
Under Boucher, Mumbai had a mixed season, reaching the playoffs in IPL 2023 but finishing last in the subsequent season with only four wins from 14 matches. Jayawardene’s first task will be to finalize player retentions ahead of the October 31 deadline. Each franchise will have a purse of INR 120 crore to build their squads for IPL 2025, an increase of INR 20 crore from the previous season.
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