Legendary West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard was named the new head coach of Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of IPL 2027 on Saturday, replacing former Sri Lanka batter Mahela Jayawardene.
has been part of all of MI’s five title victories, and his responsibility in 2027 will be to guide them to a sixth title, and their first since 2020.
Nita Ambani, co-owner of , was pleased to welcome back the West Indian big-hitter to the franchise.
Since making his IPL debut in 2010 up until his final match in the 2022 season, Pollard has only played for Mumbai Indians. He played a total of 189 matches, scoring 3412 runs and taking 69 wickets. Before taking over as MI head coach, Pollard served as the batting coach of the team from 2023 and 2026.
“Pollard joined Mumbai Indians as a young 22-year-old and, over the past sixteen years, has become an integral part of our family.
“As a player, he gave us many unforgettable moments, and as a coach, he has continued to share his experience, passion and deep understanding of the game. We are delighted to see him take on this new responsibility as Head Coach,” Ambani said via an official statement from Mumbai Indians.
She was optimistic that Pollard could help Mumbai Indians bring back their glory days. Since their title-winning season in IPL 2020, Mumbai Indians have only qualified for the playoffs twice, and even finished last in the standings in 2022 and 2024.
“Polly knows what it means to wear the MI jersey and what it takes to play for the Paltan. I am confident that he will bring the same commitment, belief and determination to this role. I wish him every success as he leads the team into its next chapter,” added.
One of the major changes in the Mumbai Indians squad was when former Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Hardik Pandya returned to MI in 2023.
He took over as the new captain of MI ahead of the 2024 season, but the team failed to qualify for the playoffs that season. Mumbai Indians qualified for the playoffs in 2025, but failed to reach the final. In 2026, they failed to qualify for the IPL playoffs once again after finishing in ninth place with eight points.
