Luke Williams named Mumbai Indians head coach, replaces Lisa Keightley

Two-time champions Mumbai Indians have taken a major decision ahead of the 2027 season of the Women's Premier League (WPL). The team has appointed Luke Williams as head coach, and he will replace Lisa Keightley, who has held the position so far. Williams brings extensive coaching experience in the WPL. In 2024, he led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first WPL title. Mumbai Indians have high expectations from him.

Reacting to the announcement on Thursday, Williams said Mumbai Indians is a prestigious and successful franchise, and he is excited to work with this talented group of players and support staff after joining it. He said they have a great opportunity to play thrilling cricket together and achieve success. Williams said he is looking forward to the challenge and wants to give fans moments to be proud of.

Mumbai Indians owner Nita Ambani also welcomed the appointment. She said they are welcoming Luke Williams into the Mumbai Indians family. She said Luke is a title-winning coach with vast experience, and he joins the team with deep thinking about the women's game and a strong commitment to developing players. Nita Ambani said she wishes Luke and the entire team well for this exciting new chapter. She further said their girls have built a great legacy in the WPL, and she is confident that under Luke's guidance and Harman's captaincy, they will move forward and achieve success.

However, the task ahead of Williams is not as easy as it seems. Before the upcoming season, he will first have to plan strategy for Mumbai Indians' player retention and the auction. The deadline for player retention for the fifth season of the WPL is September 28, while the auction will be held in Kochi on October 28. According to the BCCI, the tournament will be played between January 14 and February 2027. However, it has not yet been revealed which cities will host matches for this five-team competition.