Mark Boucher appointed as Mumbai Indians head coach, team owner Akash Ambani says he is right man to take our legacy forward

Mark Boucher said that it is an honour to become the head coach of MI, who are five-time IPL champions.

Source: Twitter

Mumbai Indians have appointed former South Africa wicketkeeper and batter Mark Boucher as the new coach. He replaces Mahela Jayawardena who has been appointed as global head of performance at Mumbai Indians. Boucher has been welcomed by team owner Akash Ambani, who said that Mark will add immense value to the team. 

Akash Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio Infocomm, said: "It’s a pleasure to welcome Mark Boucher to Mumbai Indians. With his proven expertise on the field and off it as a coach guiding his team to numerous victories, Mark will add immense value to MI and take forward its legacy."

Boucher said that it is an honour to become the head coach of MI, who are five-time IPL champions. He said, "It is an honor and privilege to be appointed as Head Coach of MI. Their history and achievements as a franchise clearly put them up there as one of the most successful sporting franchises in all of world sport. I look forward to the challenge and respect the need for results. It’s a strong unit with great leadership and players. I look forward to adding value to this dynamic unit."

Presenting ____ ____ Head Coach - ____ _______ _

Paltan, drop a _ to welcome the __ legend to our #OneFamily _#DilKholKe #MumbaiIndians @markb46 @OfficialCSA pic.twitter.com/S6zarGJmNM

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) September 16, 2022

The 45-year-old replaces former Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene, who has been elevated to the role of global head of performance by the franchise. Boucher, who is currently the head coach of the South Africa men's national team, had earlier this week announced he will be stepping down from the role after the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Boucher has had a long and illustrious career and holds the record for the most Test dismissals by a wicketkeeper. Post-retirement he took over as coach for Titans, a top-level cricket franchise in South Africa, and led them to five domestic titles.

In 2019, he was appointed as the head coach of South Africa where he crafted 11 Test wins, 12 in ODIs and 23 T20I victories.

With PTI inputs