A major change has been made ahead of the super auction: the five-time IPL champion Mumbai Indians have named former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene as their head coach for the IPL 2025 season. In his previous role as head coach from 2017 to 2022, Jayawardene guided the squad to several IPL championships. He succeeds South African batsman-wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, who has been head coach for the last two seasons.
Jayawardene’s time as head coach is marked by exceptional success, with Mumbai Indians clinching titles under his leadership in 2017, 2019, and 2020-21. His return to the role follows a challenging 2024 season for Mumbai Indians, where the team finished last on the points table with only four wins out of 14 matches, despite qualifying for the knockouts in 2023.
In a statement released by the franchise, Jayawardene expressed his enthusiasm for returning to the team, reflecting on his earlier tenure and the journey he has shared with Mumbai Indians. “In 2017, the focus was on uniting a talented group of players to perform at their best, and we succeeded in achieving that. Now, I’m excited to return at a pivotal moment, with the chance to build on the legacy of Mumbai Indians and carry forward the vision of the owners. It’s an exciting challenge that I am eager to embrace,” Jayawardene said.
Jayawardene steps into a position that comes with its own challenges, especially following the controversy that arose when Boucher took over. India’s Test captain, Rohit Sharma, who had led Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles, was controversially replaced by all-rounder Hardik Pandya as team captain, a decision that did not sit well with fans. The switch, which saw Pandya—traded into the team—take the captaincy from the long-serving Rohit, stirred significant backlash.
One of Jayawardene’s primary tasks will be navigating the complexities of the new player retention rules and ensuring a strong core of players heading into the mega auction. The team will need to rebuild its squad while balancing new auction dynamics and player retention strategies.
