Mumbai Indians have been making plenty of changes ahead of the upcoming season of the IPL. After Mahela Jayawardene stepped away from the head coach role, the franchise moved quickly and elevated Kieron
Pollard to the role. The West Indian, who spent years as batting coach after hanging up his boots as a player, now sits at the top of the coaching role.
With that decision already made the attention has shifted to the rest of the support staff, and the pieces are starting to fall into place The biggest open position right now is assistant coach. According to reports from Times of India, there is a genuine four-way contest. Former Australia captain Aaron Finch is one of the names in the frame. Alongside him is another experienced Australian who once shared a dressing room with Finch.
🚨 4 CRICKETERS FOR THE RACE FOR MI ASSISTANT COACH: [Sahil Malhotra from TOI]
1) Aaron Finch
2) Another former Australian player
3) Former MI & Indian Cricketer
4) Former Indian cricketer.T Dilip likely to be the fielding Coach. 🔵 https://t.co/RYjzLOfGen
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 25, 2026
The other two candidates are former India players, one of whom has already worn the Mumbai Indians jersey in the past. Pollard himself is involved in the conversations, which suggests the franchise wants someone who can work closely with the new head coach rather than simply fill a checklist. The decision is expected to be taken in the coming week.
Fielding is another area being looked at carefully. T Dilip, who spent several successful years as India’s fielding coach and was part of the staff during multiple ICC title wins, has emerged as the frontrunner. His work on creating a stronger fielding culture with the national side is well known, and Mumbai Indians appear keen to bring that same intensity into their own setup.
Lasith Malinga set to retain his place as Mumbai Indians face big captaincy call
When it comes to the bowling group of Mumbai Indians, there will not be many changes as Lasith Malinga and Paras Mhambrey are both likely to stay on.
That combination of experience and local knowledge has been a steady presence for the franchise, and the decision to retain them shows the management is not looking for changes everywhere. Beyond the coaching staff, two bigger questions remain unresolved and one of them is the captaincy. With the retention window approaching, the franchise will have to decide who leads the side in 2027.
The other big decision that the Mumbai Indians have to make is the future of Hardik Pandya. Trade talks are expected to gather pace as the deadline draws closer. Both issues have been floating around for some time, and the next few weeks should bring clarity.Pollard brings continuity to the dressing-room respect as a coach and will play a big role in these decisions.
The captaincy call and any Pandya trade will shape the team structure going into next year. Fans will be watching closely as the five time champions look to rebuild their side ahead of the next season.
