Mahela Jayawardene quits as Mumbai Indians head coach ahead of IPL 2027
Mahela Jayawardene has resigned as Mumbai Indians head coach before the IPL 2027 season, ending a association of about ten years by mutual consent.
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Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mahela Jayawardene has resigned from his post ahead of the start of the IPL 2027 season. The team and Jayawardene took the decision by mutual consent. With this, his association of about ten years with Mumbai Indians has ended.
Mumbai Indians announced in a post on their official Instagram account that Jayawardene is leaving the franchise. Jayawardene appeared emotional as he left the team. He thanked the players, the coaching staff and the fans.
Jayawardene said, "Mumbai Indians has been a very special part of my journey for more than a decade. The players, the coaching staff, the 'One Family' and the fans here have made this an experience that will always be remembered. On this journey we lived many memorable moments together, faced challenges with courage and achieved success that everyone can be proud of."
He added, "I thank Nita Ambani and Akash Ambani from the heart for trusting me for so many years, for their constant support and for their friendship. I am very proud of everything we achieved together. Mumbai Indians will always hold a special place in my heart. My sincere wish is that this team enjoys great success in the years to come."
Nita Ambani also gave a message on his departure. She said, "Mahela has made a hugely important contribution to Mumbai Indians over many years. His leadership, his integrity and his love for cricket have been very special to us. On behalf of the entire Mumbai Indians family, I thank Mahela for his contribution over so many years and his commitment to the team. The journey we travelled together and the memorable moments we lived will always be special to us. Mahela will always remain part of our One Family. I wish him all the very best for the future."
A look at Jayawardene's journey: he began his stint as Mumbai Indians head coach in IPL 2017, replacing Ricky Ponting. In 2022 he took over as Mumbai Indians' Global Head of Performance. Then in 2025 he returned to the team as head coach. He had thus been coaching the team for the past two years, having earlier also been head coach from 2017 to 2022. IPL 2026 is his last season with Mumbai Indians.
Under his coaching, Mumbai Indians won the IPL title three times, in IPL 2017, IPL 2019 and IPL 2020. It is reported that Mumbai Indians may announce a new head coach in the next few weeks.
