Mumbai Indians overhaul coaching setup as Lasith Malinga and two others exit

Preparations for the upcoming seasons of the Indian Premier League, and specifically the 20th season scheduled for the year 2027, have already begun in earnest by all franchises. In this context, several franchises have started making significant changes to their coaching setups, with one prominent name being the five-time champions Mumbai Indians. The last few seasons on the field have proven to be quite disappointing and poor for Mumbai Indians, prompting the franchise management to continuously take strict and major decisions to bring the team back on track. Following Mahela Jayawardene relinquishing his position as head coach, Mumbai Indians had already taken a major step by appointing explosive all-rounder Kieron Pollard as their new head coach, and now further major changes have been witnessed in their coaching setup, making it clear that the team is preparing to take the field with an entirely fresh outlook and strategy.

As part of this major overhaul, legendary fast bowler Lasith Malinga has now officially parted ways with the Mumbai Indians franchise. Along with Lasith Malinga, Paras Mhambrey and Carl Hopkinson have also separated from the Mumbai Indians coaching setup. Lasith Malinga shares a very long, historic, and deeply rooted relationship with Mumbai Indians. Malinga spent a long time playing for Mumbai Indians as a player and delivered stellar performances. Using his remarkable cricketing skills, he played a crucial and decisive role in helping Mumbai Indians secure four IPL titles and the 2011 Champions League T20 victory. After announcing his retirement from the playing field, Lasith Malinga became a part of the coaching setup for Mumbai Indians, where he successfully handled various important roles within the franchise.

After retiring as a player, Lasith Malinga made a glorious comeback to Mumbai Indians in the capacity of a mentor and bowling coach, while lasith Malinga has always been counted among the finest, most lethal, and clever fast bowlers in world cricket, with several major world records registered under his name in international and domestic cricket. Malinga's lethal yorkers and variations in bowling won numerous matches for Mumbai Indians, and during his coaching tenure, he imparted the very same artistry to the young bowlers, while however, the franchise and Malinga have now parted ways.

Apart from Lasith Malinga, Paras Mhambrey has also been a very crucial and long-standing member of the Mumbai Indians coaching setup. Paras Mhambrey's coaching career has a long history with Mumbai Indians, as he was initially associated with this franchise for a long period from the year 2010 to the year 2017. Following that, he remained busy with other responsibilities for a brief period before returning to the Mumbai Indians coaching setup in the year 2024. Paras Mhambrey shared his extensive experience in domestic and international cricket with Mumbai players, but now he too has been removed from the coaching setup.

In addition to Lasith Malinga and Paras Mhambrey, the third member who has exited the Mumbai Indians coaching setup is Carl Hopkinson, while carl Hopkinson had become a part of the Mumbai Indians coaching setup just before the season of the year 2025 and was handling the vital position of fielding coach within the franchise. Now, Mumbai Indians have completely severed ties with Carl Hopkinson as well. Thus, in a single sweep, Mumbai Indians have shown the exit door to three major veterans of their coaching staff.

Following all these major developments and right before the mini player auction scheduled for December 16, the eyes of the entire cricket world and all fans are firmly fixed on which new members Mumbai Indians will appoint in their coaching setup. It will be a major challenge for the franchise to bring in capable and experienced faces for these vacant positions who can steer the team back onto the winning path.