Kieron Pollard has replaced Mahela Jayawardene as the new head coach of Mumbai Indians for the upcoming IPL 2027 season.
Published: October 26, 2026, 11:53 AM IST
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Kieron Pollard (right) is new head coach of Mumbai Indians(Photo: IANS)
SA20 2026-27: Former West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard was set to turn out for arch-rivals of his long-term Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians – Joburg Super Kings, owned by CSK – but that was before he was appointed the new head coach of MI last week for the upcoming IPL 2027 seasonIn what will be a big blow to JSK ahead of SA20 2026-27 season, Pollard has communicated his unavailability for the upcoming season.
Pollard, who has retired from Indian Premier League, was signed up by 1.5 million rand by CSK’s sister team in SA20 2027 auction earlier this yearIt will now possibly create an unwanted situation in the upcoming season of T20 league in South Africa, with Mumbai Indians also owning one of the teams in the league – MI Cape Town.
“It’s up to KP on the matterWe have given no instructions,” an MI source was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz website.
against Super Kings Franchise
2012 – Bowled (4-0-15-2) Spell & Won
2013 – Scored 57* (38) from 5/75 & Won
2013 – Took a stunning boundary catch to dismiss Dhoni when CSK needed 12 off final over & Won
2013 – Scored 60* (32) from 4/52 & Won Final
2015 – Scored 41 (17) & Won Qualifier 1
2015 – Scored 36 (18) & Won Final
2019 – Scored 41* (25) from 4/89 & Won Final
2021 – Scored 87* (34) in 219 Runchase
2025 – Scored 47* (22) in Q1 v Texas & Won
2026 – Made JSK pick him at the auction, only to withdraw later, allowing MICT to pick Hetmyer*Nothing new here! Whether on the field or off it, Pollard has been giving the Super Kings franchise sleepless nights for over a decade!
— (@Shebas_10dulkar) October 26, 2026
Pollard was bought by Joburg Super Kings after MI Cape Town management chose not to bid for the former West Indies captainMICT chose to big for another player from the Caribbean – Shimron Hetmyer – for the same amount“It all depended on the auction orderBoth Hetmyer and KP perform the same role in the middle orderHetmyer’s name came up first, and we could not have waited for PollardWhat was the guarantee that no other team would compete with us and we would get him at the auction?” the MI source told Cricbuzz.
Pollard had never played for a franchise other than MI or MI-owned team in a league where the Mumbai Indians have a presence like SA20He retired from the IPL a couple of years ago but continued to turn out for other MI-owned teams in global leagues – MICT (12 matches) and MINY (30 matches) in Major League Cricket.
The former all-rounder also played for MI Emirates (25 matches) in ILT20From 2024 to 2026, he featured for all three teamsHe plays for Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League, where MI has no presenceHe is the head coach of the MI London team in The Hundred as well.
“He has conveyed to us that he will not be able to play for Joburg Super Kings,” confirmed Kasi Viswanathan, CEO of CSK and all Super Kings franchises“We will now look for a replacement.”
The fifth season of SA20 will be held from January 17 to February 21The 39-year-old is one run short of completing 15000 runs in T20 cricket in 754 matches at a strike-rate of 150.92 with 2 hundreds and 71 fifties to his name.
Kieron Pollard was finalized as MI head coach only few days back
Pollard replaced former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene as the head coach of MI and his name was reportedly finalized only ‘three to four’ days backHe was called to Mumbai to discuss his appointment with the owners.
Nita Ambani’s comments had summed up the thinking behind Pollard’s elevation from batting coach to head coach“Pollard joined Mumbai Indians as a young 22-year-old and, over the past sixteen years, has become an integral part of our familyAs a player, he gave us many unforgettable moments, and as a coach, he has continued to share his experience, passion and deep understanding of the gameWe are delighted to see him take on this new responsibility as Head CoachPolly knows what it means to wear the MI jersey and what it takes to play for the Paltan,” MI owner Nita Ambani said.
