Mahela Jayawardene steps down as coach, gets bigger role at IPL’s Mumbai Indians

Mahela Jayawardene will step down as Mumbai Indians head coach and take on a bigger role at the franchise due to its increasing international presence, the Indian Premier League side said on Wednesday.

Mumbai’s owners recently purchased teams in the International League T20 based in the United Arab Emirates, and the Cape Town side in a new league in South Africa.

Former Sri Lanka captain Jayawardene will become global head of performance, Mumbai said in a statement.

“With the expansion of MI #OneFamily which now includes MI Emirates and MI Cape Town along with Mumbai Indians, the team management recognised the need for a central team,” the team said.

“As part of building the structure, two MI veterans Mahela Jayawardene and Zaheer Khan with deep knowledge of the MI value system and proven track record, are being elevated to new roles.”

Led by India captain Rohit Sharma, Mumbai are one of the most successful teams in the IPL, winning the tournament five times.

In his new role, Jayawardene will work closely with each of the head coaches to make sure the three teams play a consistent brand of cricket.

Former India fast bowler Zaheer has been elevated to global head of cricket development from his previous position as director of cricket operations and will look after the franchise’s scouting and talent development.

(Reuters)