Mumbai Indians have not named a successor to Mahela Jayawardene, who stepped down as head coach on 17 October 2026. Khel Now has put forward three candidates. These are the publication’s suggestions and not an announced shortlist.
Rahul Dravid
Khel Now ranked the former India head coach as its top option, noting that he guided India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title and that his international experience “could be useful” for a squad of established players.
Mark Boucher
The former South Africa wicketkeeper was Mumbai Indians head coach in 2023 and 2024, so he already knows how the franchise works, the report said.
Kieron Pollard
The former West Indies all-rounder played for Mumbai Indians from 2010 to 2022 and joined the coaching staff in 2023. Khel Now said his T20 experience could help the side when handling pressure situations.
Why a change is being discussed
Khel Now reported that Mumbai Indians finished ninth in the 2026 season. The franchise itself has said only that Jayawardene is leaving ahead of IPL 2027, with no word on his replacement.
The candidates and the 2026 finish are as reported by Khel Now.
Image: Rahul Dravid (file photo). Photo by Chubby Chandru, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.