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Jayawardene leaves Mumbai Indians as Delhi Capitals hand Chaminda Vaas the new ball
The former Sri Lanka captain, who coached Mumbai to three IPL titles, has parted ways with the franchise after a ninth-place finish. Hours later, his compatriot Chaminda Vaas was named Delhi Capitals' fast-bowling coach in place of Munaf Patel.
Key points
- Mahela Jayawardene and Mumbai Indians have mutually agreed to part ways after a ninth-place IPL 2026 finish.
- Delhi Capitals named Chaminda Vaas fast-bowling coach, his first IPL coaching job.
- Vaas replaces Munaf Patel in a Delhi staff now led by Sourav Ganguly, with Yuvraj Singh as batting coach.
Mahela Jayawardene has stepped down as head coach of Mumbai Indians, ending his second spell in charge after a season in which they finished ninth with only four wins. A few hours later on Saturday, another great of Sri Lankan cricket, Chaminda Vaas, was given his first IPL coaching job by Delhi Capitals.
Mumbai and Jayawardene said they had mutually agreed to part ways ahead of the 2027 season, with the franchise wanting a fresh approach after a disappointing campaign. No successor has been named.
‘A very special part of my journey’
In a statement, Jayawardene called Mumbai Indians “a very special part of my journey for over a decade now”, and thanked the players, coaching staff and fans, the franchise’s “#OneFamily”, for the memories they had shared.
Owner Nita Ambani said he had made “a significant contribution to Mumbai Indians over the years”. She praised his “calm leadership, integrity and deep love for the game”, and wished him “every happiness and success” in what comes next.
Jayawardene first took charge in 2017 and guided Mumbai to three IPL titles before his first stint as head coach ended in 2022. He then took a wider role as the group’s Global Head of Performance, a period in which Mumbai Indians Women, MI New York and MI Emirates all won titles. He came back as head coach in 2024 on a two-plus-one-year contract. Mumbai reached the playoffs in 2025, but 2026 went badly wrong.
Vaas joins Ganguly’s Delhi
Delhi Capitals confirmed Vaas’s appointment as fast-bowling coach in an Instagram post. “World Cup winner and Sri Lanka’s best ever. Welcome to Tiger Territory, coach,” the franchise wrote.
Vaas took 355 wickets in 111 Tests and 400 in 322 ODIs, and scored 5,147 international runs. He has coached with Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Ireland, and played three IPL seasons for Deccan Chargers from 2008 to 2010, taking 18 wickets in 13 matches.
He replaces Munaf Patel, the former India seamer who had been Delhi’s bowling coach for the past two seasons. Vaas joins a staff that has been rebuilt around head coach Sourav Ganguly. Earlier this week Delhi named Yuvraj Singh as assistant and batting coach.
What comes next
The two moves point in opposite directions. Delhi are filling out a new coaching group well before the 2027 season, while Mumbai now have to start their search at the top. The franchise has not said when it expects to name Jayawardene’s replacement.