The Sri Lanka cricket legend Mahela Jayawardene has been reappointed as Mumbai Indians Head coach for IPL 2025.
Jayawardene has previously worked as MI heach coach between 2017-2022 and will be replacing outgoing Mark Boucher. “We are thrilled to have Mahela back as the head coach of Mumbai Indians,” said owner Akash Ambani.
“With our global teams having found their footing within their ecosystems, the opportunity to bring him back to MI arose. His leadership, knowledge, and passion for the game have always benefited MI.”
During his first stint as head coach, Jayawardene led Mumbai to three IPL titles (2017, 2019, 2020) marking their status as one of the most successful franchises in the tournament history.
𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐚 𝐉𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐞. 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡. 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 💙#MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians | @MahelaJay pic.twitter.com/SajRfzLYkQ
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) October 13, 2024
After stepping down in 2022, Jayawardene took on a broader role within the franchise as its global head of performance overseeing the coaching duties of all Mumbai Indians-based franchises.
My journey within the MI family has always been one of evolution,” Jayawardene said in a statement. “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.”
Under Boucher, Mumbai Indians finished in 10th position in the IPL 2024 season. During the 2023 season, Mumbai Indians made it to the playoffs when they lost the second qualifier to Gujarat Titans.
Jayawardene’s first task as head coach will be to finalise Mumbai’s retention list ahead of the deadline. Each Franchise has been given a purse value of INR 20 crores, an increment of INR 20 crores from the last time, to build a squad for IPL 2025.
Jayawardene has been in charge of teams in The Hundred (Southern Brave), and the Bangladesh Premier League (Khulna Titans), Jayawardene has worked with the Sri Lanka team in different capacities, including a recent stint as a consultant coach. During his tenure, Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup 2022 in Dubai.
