Mumbai Indians unveil coaches for IPL 2027: Uthappa, McClenaghan return

Uthappa will join Mumbai Indians as batting coach for the IPL 2027 edition. (File)

Mumbai Indians on Thursday announced their set of new coaches for the IPL 2027 season, with Robin Uthappa, Mitchell McClenaghan and Dhawal Kulkarni returning to the franchise they had once represented in the tournament.

While Uthappa was appointed as the batting coach, former New Zealand pacer McClenaghan will take over as the bowling coach from Lasith Malinga. Former India fielding coach T Dilip was named as the new fielding coach for the five-time winners, while Kulkarni was named the new development bowling coach.

This will be Uthappa’s first major coaching stint in the IPL, having previously represented MI in the inaugural IPL season in 2008. McClenaghan relished a fruitful stint between 2015 and 2020 with MI, becoming a part of four title-winning campaigns. Former Mumbai seamer Kulkarni, too, represented MI in multiple stints, having won the title in 2013 and 2020.

On Wednesday, MI announced that they have parted ways with Malinga, Paras Mhambrey and Carl Hopkinson, making the move official with a social media post thanking the trio for their contributions. This came just days after the five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions parted ways with head coach Mahela Jaywardene with West Indies’ Kieron Pollard appointed as head coach.

Malinga has been an integral part of the MI family and one of the most iconic figures in the franchise’s history. He spearheaded Mumbai’s bowling attack and played a defining role in four of Mumbai’s IPL title triumphs besides the 2011 Champions League T20 victory. After retiring, Malinga returned as a mentor and coach for MI.

Mhambrey meanwhile shared a long association with Mumbai Indians, first from 2010 to 2017 before subsequently returning in 2024.

“Under Pollard’s leadership, the coaching group will work closely to strengthen player development, build a high-performance environment and prepare the team for the challenges of the upcoming season,” a statement from the franchise read.