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The MI Emirates, which is the sister franchise of the IPL franchise Mumbai Indians (MI), have announced their new head coach for ILT20 2026, in the form of Mark Boucher. The former South Africa National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batter once again returns to the MI franchise after he was the coach of the Mumbai team for two seasons.
MI Emirates finished as the runners-up in the 2025/26 International League T20 (ILT20) season, losing to the Desert Vipers in the final. They were the winners of the 2024 edition of the competition, which showcases their consistency in the league, and they would like to continue with the same in the upcoming edition as well, under their new head coach.
Mark Boucher replaces Robin Singh as MI Emirates head coach
Mark Boucher joined the MI Emirates after the departure of former India batter Robin Singh. Boucher was also the coach of the MI New York team, where he guided the franchise to the championship title in 2025. He brings a wealth of experience in coaching. The former Proteas first joined Mumbai Indians as Head Coach in 2023, before taking charge of MI New York.
However, after joining MI, he did not have the best time as head coach, as Mark Boucher replaced Rohit Sharma as captain in the 2024 edition and appointed Hardik Pandya as captain, which saw some serious backlash, as the team did not play well in the season and finished at the bottom of the table, losing 10 matches in the same year.
Mark Boucher record as head coach
Mark Boucher began his coaching career with the Titans domestic franchise, leading them to five domestic titles, which included two One Day Cups, two T20 Challenge titles, and one four-day Sunfoil Series trophy from 2016 to 2022.
He served as the head coach of the Proteas from 2019, guiding the national side to 11 Test wins, 12 ODI wins, and 23 T20I victories before stepping down following the 2022 T20 World Cup. After a rough start in the 2025 season for MI New York, he guided them to the title of the MLC.
Robin Singh's record with MI
Under their former head coach Robin Singh, who has been a part of the Mumbai Indians setup since 2010, he won five title-winning campaigns with the franchise and has played a key role across its teams and franchises over the years.
The former India batter took charge of MI Emirates as Head Coach and led the team to its first ILT20 title in 2024. He has joined a new franchise as the Director of Cricket for the Royal Desert Champions, who are making their debut for this season of the ILT20.
Kieron Pollard is expected to be the captain of the side, as he was last season after taking over from Nicholas Pooran. They have not yet officially announced their captain for the 2026/27 International League T20 (ILT20) season.
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