Mark Boucher appointed Mumbai Indians' head coach amid coaching unit shuffle

Former South African wicket-keeper batter Mark Boucher has been appointed the head coach of the Mumbai Indians (MI). The Proteas legend will step down from his coaching duties with the South African men's team following the culmination of the 2022 T20 World Cup.

The upcoming stint with the five-time champions from the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will mark Boucher's first season at the helm of a T20 league franchise.

Prior to this, he held a head coach role with the Titans in South Africa, leading them to five titles across all formats.

Presenting आपले नवीन Head Coach - 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑 💙

Paltan, drop a 🙌 to welcome the 🇿🇦 legend to our #OneFamily 👏

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He has also left an impact in the IPL after representing the likes of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the formative years of the competition.

He held the role as a wicket-keeping consultant for KKR in the 2016 edition, when his former teammate Jacques Kallis was the head coach of the side.

Claiming that Boucher will add immense value to the franchise as head coach, team owner Akash Ambani said in a statement:

“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."

Rohit Sharma’s side recently elevated former head coach Mahela Jaywardene and former director Zaheer Khan to global roles within the MI framework.

The Reliance Industries-owned MI Cape Town on Thursday (September 15) announced the appointment of Simon Katich, Hashim Amla, James Pamment, and Robin Peterson in various coaching roles ahead of the inaugural SA20.

"It’s a strong unit with great leadership and players" - Mark Boucher's early assessment of Mumbai Indians

Following a successful stint with the Titans, Boucher was appointed the head coach of the South African national team. The former cricketer took charge of the side during a turbulent time and smoothened the transition period. He oversaw the development of players who are integral to the Proteas at the moment and molded the side into one of the best all-format squads in the world.

Mark Boucher joins the #OneFamily as #MumbaiIndians’ Head Coach 💙

Welcome onboard, Mark 🙌

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Naming MI as one of the most successful sporting franchises, Boucher remarked:

“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."

MI are looking to turn things around in the next season of the IPL after finishing tenth in the 2022 edition. The side could only muster four wins over the course of the tournament and ended with the wooden spoon for the first time in their history.

Will MI's resounding success continue under the Proteas legend? Let us know what you think.