Luke Williams takes over from Lisa Keightley as Mumbai Indians' head coach in WPL
Luke Williams has had a lot of success as a coach in women's cricket • Getty Images
Williams helmed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to their first title win in 2024, and was part of the setup for the subsequent season before stepping away this year to focus on his WBBL commitments with Adelaide Strikers.
"I'm really excited to be joining Mumbai Indians, a respected and successful organisation, and working with this talented group of players and support staff," Williams said in a statement released by MI. "We have a great opportunity to build something together, play an exciting brand of cricket and compete for success."
Williams brings with him a rich CV. He has helmed Strikers to back-to-back WBBL titles (2022 and 2023) and was assistant coach to Charlotte Edwards when Southern Brave won the Hundred in 2023 after two successive seasons of finishing as runners-up.
Williams' appointment marks a second coaching rejig for MI in two seasons - they had signed Keightley prior to WPL 2026 after Edwards was named England head coach. MI finished fourth in the five-team league with three wins, thereby missing the playoffs for the first time since WPL's inception in 2023 - they have won the title two times in its four years of existence. Williams is also currently the assistant coach of the England women's team.
Meanwhile, Keightley, who played nine Tests, 82 ODIs and one T20Is, will continue to be head coach of Sydney Thunder in the WBBL alongside her work with CA. Her position in the Hundred, where she is coach of MI London, is unclear.
"Luke is a proven winner and brings with him rich experience, a deep understanding of the women's game, and a strong commitment to developing players," MI owner Nita Ambani said. "I am confident that, with Luke's guidance and Harman's leadership, they will continue to grow, achieve greater success, and inspire young girls everywhere to dream big."
Williams' first task will be to finalise the list of retentions before the September 28 deadline. The mini-auction for WPL 2027 - set to be played between January 14 and February 7 - will be held in Kochi on October 28.
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