In an expected yet surprising development, Mumbai Indians announced on Saturday, October 17, that Mahela Jayawardene has stepped down as their head coach ahead of IPL 2027.

Mahela Jayawardene steps down as Mumbai Indians head coach

Mahela’s decision brings an end to his decade-long association with the five-time IPL champions. Jayawardene’s legacy at Mumbai Indians is a strong one, having led the team to three IPL titles during his tenure as head coach.

He served in the role from 2017 to 2022 before returning for another stint from 2024 to 2026. Jayawardene played a key role in building Mumbai Indians' team culture and creating a strong dressing-room environment.

His focus on discipline, teamwork, collaboration, and putting the team first helped the team achieve massive success in the IPL. Amid this, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana are to undergo match simulations ahead of the New Zealand tour.

𝗠𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗶 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗕𝗶𝗱 𝗮 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗮 𝗝𝗮𝘆𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗲 Mahela has been much more than a Head Coach to Mumbai Indians. Under his leadership as Head Coach, Mumbai Indians won 3 IPL titles. Read more 👉 https://t.co/GvYuetCKW5

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) October 17, 2026

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