The legendary Sri Lankan batsman, Mahela Jayawardena, has been appointed as the head coach of the Indian Premier League franchise, Mumbai Indians.
The team based in Mumbai broke the news on Twitter today tweeting “We welcome one of the most elegant & graceful batsmen of the modern era, Mahela Jayawardena, as the new head coach of Mumbai Indians”.
Australia’s former captain, Ricky Ponting, has been serving as Mumbai Indians’ head coach hitherto since 2014. The twice title-winning franchise is being captained by India’s star batsman Rohit Sharma and has been a consistent performer in the now-defunct Champions League too.
Veteran fast bowler Lasith Malinga has been an integral part of the team since its formative years and the appointment of Mahela as the head coach is likely to boost the team’s support base among cricket lovers in Sri Lanka.
Mahela Jayawardena announced his retirement from all forms of cricket following the World Cup in 2015 and has since been involved in playing for franchises all around the world. The stylish right-handed batsman was also involved in brief consultant roles with the English side twice following his retirement.
The Sri Lankan batsman was known for his shrewd tactical skills during his playing days and for a very long time was touted to take on the role of a coach following his retirement.
In a video released by Mumbai Indians, Mahela is heard saying, “I am honored to be chosen as the head coach of a very exciting team, who have got a winning mentality embedded to their DNA.”
Since the beginning of the IPL, Mahela has been involved with three franchises namely Kings XI Punjab, Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Delhi Daredevils, and has captained all three sides.
