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MI London will have a new head coach for the 2027 edition of The Hundred, as Kieron Pollard is set to leave the position after being named the Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach ahead of the IPL 2027. Following the promotion, Kieron Pollard is expected to take a break from his MI London duties.
Pollard was in charge of MI London during 2026. The Hundred season, but the team failed to reach the knockout stages. Now, the franchise will have to find a new face for the role. Read Also: CSK and SRH complete blockbuster four-player trade ahead of IPL 2027.
Kieron Pollard to step down from MI London after Mumbai Indians promotion
Kieron Pollard took charge of MI London in 2026, with Sam Curran leading the team as captain. They finished fourth in the competition and missed the knockout stages despite ending the league phase level on points with Manchester United and Sunrisers.
However, a weaker net run-rate pushed them out of the race in The Hundred 2026. Pollard has now replaced Mahela Jayawardene as Mumbai Indians' head coach after the Sri Lankan legend left the position in October 2026.
The legendary West Indies all-rounder Pollard has a long history with the Mumbai Indians, having played 189 IPL matches for MI across 13 seasons. He has now decided to leave his position at the MI London in The Hundred to get some time off.
A Cricinfo report states, “Pollard will step aside from his duties with MI London ahead of the 2027 Hundred season primarily to get some time off.”
Double coaching blow for MI London and Surrey as Kieron Pollard and Gareth Batty step down
Kieron Pollard's exit means MI London and Surrey have two top coaching positions to fill. Surrey men's head coach Gareth Batty has also stepped down after joining the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as an assistant coach ahead of the IPL 2027.
Batty had earlier worked as one of Pollard's assistant coaches at MI London. Surrey co-owns the Hundred franchise with Reliance Industries Limited. Surrey Club is expected to advertise for a new head coach later this year.
The club is likely to allow the selected coach to work with MI London in The Hundred along with their county responsibilities. Former assistant coach Azhar Mahmood and current bowling coach Jade Dernbach are among the possible candidates.
Read Also: Shaun Tait returns to PSL as Lahore Qalandars' head coach.
The Hundred announces squad rule changes ahead of 2027 season
The Hundred's player retention window opened last week and will remain open until mid-January. Teams can retain up to 16 players from their 2026 squads at the same price point.
The teams will also be allowed to sign five overseas players in their squads for the next season. However, only four overseas players will be allowed in the playing XI for a match.
Notably, MI London's women's team also had a poor season in The Hundred 2026, finishing at the bottom of the table after winning just one of their eight matches. It is still unclear whether Lisa Keightley will continue as the head coach next season after leaving her WPL job at MI.
