Representative image. Blnguyen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Why it matters
Mumbai Indians are five-time IPL champions but have not won the title since 2020 and finished ninth last season, PTI reported. The new staff will shape which players MI keep before the December auction, and Uthappa, in his first IPL coaching job, takes over the batting group Pollard ran until last week.
Robin Uthappa is the new Mumbai Indians batting coach. The franchise announced on 30 October 2026 that the former India batter will take charge of its batters for IPL 2027, one of four appointments made on the same day to rebuild the support staff around head coach Kieron Pollard.
Mitchell McClenaghan becomes bowling coach, T Dilip fielding coach and Dhawal Kulkarni development bowling coach, according to the Mumbai Indians announcement. Three of the four played for the team. The hires came a day after MI let go of Lasith Malinga, Paras Mhambrey and Carl Hopkinson.
What Robin Uthappa brings back to MI
Uthappa, 40 according to the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency, was part of the India squad that won the first T20 World Cup in 2007. He played for Mumbai Indians in the league’s first season in 2008. Cricbuzz noted that he left after that year in one of the IPL’s earliest trades, going to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in exchange for Zaheer Khan.
He has not coached an IPL side before. Cricbuzz reported that this is his first coaching job with an IPL team, after he retired from the league following the 2022 season.
The franchise said his work will centre on building the team’s batting, sharpening tactical decisions and helping players keep up with how T20 cricket is changing. MI’s post on X ended with “Welcome back to the Paltan, Robin”, PTI reported.
The batting job became free when Pollard, who had held it, was promoted to head coach last week in place of Mahela Jayawardene. NewsPlainly covered Pollard’s promotion on 24 October.
The full Mumbai Indians coaching staff for IPL 2027
Put side by side with last season’s group, every role in the table below has a different person for IPL 2027. The head coach changed last week and the other four posts were filled this week.
| Role | 2026 season | IPL 2027 | Earlier MI link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Mahela Jayawardene | Kieron Pollard | MI player, then batting coach |
| Batting coach | Kieron Pollard | Robin Uthappa | Played for MI in 2008 |
| Bowling coach | Lasith Malinga, Paras Mhambrey | Mitchell McClenaghan | MI player, 2015 to 2020 |
| Fielding coach | Carl Hopkinson | T Dilip | None; joins from India team |
| Development bowling coach | Not named in reports read | Dhawal Kulkarni | MI player, 2008 to 2013 and 2020 to 2021 |
McClenaghan, Dilip and Kulkarni: who the other new coaches are
Mitchell McClenaghan. The New Zealand left-arm seamer played for MI from 2015 to 2020. The franchise counts him as a four-time champion, for the 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020 titles. Cricbuzz added two details: he took 71 wickets in 56 matches for MI, and he was in the 2020 squad without playing a game. He has coached in the wider MI group before, as bowling coach of MI Emirates when they won the 2024 season of the International League T20 (ILT20) in the UAE, Cricbuzz reported.
T Dilip. Going by the franchise’s statement, Dilip is the only one of the four who did not play for MI. He was fielding coach of the India men’s team, and the franchise said he was part of the set-up for the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cup wins and the 2025 Champions Trophy. Cricbuzz said he held the India job for nearly five years and that his stint overlapped with Rohit Sharma’s time as India captain. The two now meet again at MI.
Dhawal Kulkarni. The Mumbai bowler won the IPL with MI in 2013 and 2020 and played for them in two spells. His job runs all year. MI said the role “will ensure continuity in Mumbai Indians’ performance programme”, with a focus on young Indian bowlers. Cricbuzz recorded 92 IPL matches for him, including stints at Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Lions, plus 12 ODIs and two T20Is for India between 2014 and 2016.
Why Mumbai Indians cleared out the old coaching staff
MI did not give a reason for the changes in its two statements. The results give the background. The team has won the IPL five times but not since 2020, and finished ninth last season, PTI reported.
The exits were announced on 29 October. Malinga, who led MI’s bowling attack in four title wins as a player, had been bowling coach since IPL 2024, Cricbuzz said. Mhambrey had two spells, from 2010 to 2017 and again from 2024, according to MI. Hopkinson joined before the 2025 season after working as the England men’s team’s lead fielding coach from 2018 to 2024, Cricbuzz reported. MI thanked all three in a statement.
Timeline: MI’s coaching overhaul
- 2008: Uthappa plays for MI in the first IPL season; Kulkarni’s first MI spell begins.
- 2020: MI win their fifth and most recent IPL title.
- IPL 2026: MI finish ninth, according to PTI.
- Last week: Pollard is promoted from batting coach to head coach after Jayawardene’s exit.
- 29 October 2026: MI announce that Malinga, Mhambrey and Hopkinson are leaving.
- 30 October 2026: Uthappa, McClenaghan, Dilip and Kulkarni are appointed.
- December 2026: the player auction, before which the new staff must settle retentions, Cricbuzz reported. The reports read did not give an exact date.
What the new Mumbai Indians coaching staff does first
Cricbuzz said the first job for Pollard’s group is deciding which players to retain ahead of the December auction. Neither MI’s announcement nor the PTI report said which players MI plan to keep, or whether any other support staff posts are still to be filled.
Uthappa’s own first task is the batting group Pollard ran until last week. MI’s statement did not name any batter he will work with, and gave no start date for the new coaches beyond the IPL 2027 season.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the Mumbai Indians batting coach for IPL 2027?
Robin Uthappa. MI announced his appointment on 30 October 2026. He replaces Kieron Pollard, who moved up to head coach.
Who are the new Mumbai Indians coaches?
Kieron Pollard is head coach, Robin Uthappa batting coach, Mitchell McClenaghan bowling coach, T Dilip fielding coach and Dhawal Kulkarni development bowling coach.
Has Robin Uthappa coached in the IPL before?
No. Cricbuzz reported that this is his first coaching job with an IPL team. He retired from the league after the 2022 season.