IPL 2023: Mark Boucher frontrunner to replace Mahela Jayawardene as Mumbai Indians head coach

Mark Boucher, who was reported to join the SA20 side MI Cape Town, is now the favourite to take over the head coach role vacated by Mahela Jayawardene at Mumbai Indians. The news comes in the wake of the appointment of former Australian opener Simon Katich as the head coach of MI Cape Town.

The rumours of Mark Boucher joining the MI Cape Town setup were rife but the recent turn of events has now made him the favourite for the Mumbai Indians job. Mahela Jayawardene, who has been at the helm of the five-time IPL winners since 2017, has been promoted to the role of the global head of performance, where he will oversee the coaching staff at all three franchises of the MI group.

According to the latest reports by Cricinfo, the former Sri Lankan international has finalized the coaching staff at all three teams, which is expected to be released later this week.

Mark Boucher had previously worked in the IPL with the Kolkata Knight riders, acting as the wicketkeeping consultant of the two-time champions in IPL 2016. Following his brief stint in the IPL, he found major success with the Titans team back home, winning five domestic titles, which led to his appointment as the head coach of the South African team in 2019. He will relinquish his position after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Simon Katich joins the MI Cape Town setup along with Hashim Amla and Robin Peterson

Meanwhile, Simon Katich's appointment for the coaching role at MI Cape Town came out of the blue as Boucher's appointment was seen as a mere formality at that point in time. The former Aussie opener boasts of a solid coaching CV, as he recently took Manchester Originals to the final of the men's Hundred, finishing runners-up to Trent Rockets.

Katich will be assisted by former South African stalwart Hashim Amla, who joined as the batting coach for the team. Another ex-Protean international, Robin Peterson, will be the team's general manager, while James Pamment will continue his role as the fielding coach for the side in the upcoming tournament next year.