Mumbai Indians Name Uthappa, McClenaghan, Dilip and Kulkarni as Coaches for IPL 2027

Mumbai Indians completed their new coaching group for the IPL 2027 season on Friday, October 30, 2026, naming Robin Uthappa as batting coach, Mitchell McClenaghan as bowling coach, T. Dilip as fielding coach and Dhawal Kulkarni as development bowling coach. The four join head coach Kieron Pollard, whose appointment the franchise had announced earlier in its coaching reset.

In its announcement, the franchise said: "They will join Head Coach Kieron Pollard as part of a new-look coaching group that brings together a strong understanding of the Mumbai Indians culture, extensive international experience and a shared commitment to developing talent and delivering success."

Familiar faces come back

Uthappa played for Mumbai Indians in the first IPL season in 2008, scoring 320 runs in 14 matches. He went on to play 205 IPL matches and score 4,952 runs, winning the trophy with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 and Chennai Super Kings in 2021. He was also part of the India squad that won the first ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2007.

McClenaghan, the former New Zealand fast bowler, took 71 wickets in 56 matches for Mumbai Indians between 2015 and 2020 and played in the title winning sides of 2015 and 2019. The franchise describes him as a four time IPL champion with Mumbai across the 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020 campaigns.

The two specialists

Dilip joins after serving as the India men's fielding coach from 2021 to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2024-25, and again for a year in 2025. He was part of the coaching setup behind India's wins at the 2024 and 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cups and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

Kulkarni played 12 one-day internationals and two T20 internationals for India. He represented Mumbai Indians from 2008 to 2013 and again in 2020 and 2021, winning the IPL title with the franchise in 2013 and 2020. His development bowling role runs year round and is focused on young Indian bowlers.

First job: the auction

The appointments close a week of change. On Thursday the franchise announced the departures of bowling mentor Lasith Malinga, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey and fielding coach Carl Hopkinson from the men's team setup, and head coach Mahela Jayawardene had already stepped down before Pollard was named in his place. The new group's first task is the IPL 2027 mini auction, set for December 16 in Goa, with retention and release lists due by November 15.