Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene is expected to continue as the head coach of the Mumbai Indians for the 2027 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, TOI reported on Tuesday (September 1).
According to the report, Jayawardene originally signed a "two + one" year contract ahead of the 2025 season, meaning 2027 serves as the optional third year.
The MI management is reluctant to make sweeping changes as 2027 marks the final year of the current IPL mega-auction cycle. An official confirmation regarding Jayawardene’s stay is likely to come next month, provided there is no late change of heart.
Under Jayawardene's guidance, MI reached the playoffs in IPL 2026 while the franchise finished in ninth place this season, winning just four matches due to injuries, player unavailability, and dressing room tension.
Meanwhile, there is a lot of chatter regarding MI captain Hardik Pandya’s trade after a tough 2026 season, but no official move has materialized.
Discussions with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) involving Cameron Green stalled because MI management worries about the Australian all-rounder’s heavy Test cricket workload.
Additionally, discussions involving the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are anticipated to progress following the finalization of their new head coach.
The report also suggests that MI might opt against trading Hardik Pandya, instead weighing whether to retain him purely as a player under a new leadership setup.
The franchise is reportedly leaning toward a new face for the leadership role, with Tilak Varma and Jasprit Bumrah under consideration, and potential momentum building around the former.
"Don't be surprised if he is not traded at all. Discussions have also happened with the player along these lines. For a trade to happen, multiple things need to fall into place. So it's not that straightforward," TOI quoted a source tracking developments.
Despite chatter surrounding Suryakumar Yadav's recent form and sacking from the national T20I captaincy, the MI management is firmly backing their experienced batter.
"Yes, he didn't have a good season last year, but what about the ones before that? MI will not discard a player based on one season, and that's not how they operate. They take pride in the 'One Family' tag and swear by it," the source added.
