Mumbai Indians appoint Zubin Bharucha as Director of Performance

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) have appointed Zubin Bharucha as their new Director of Performance. Bharucha has previously held several positions in Rajasthan Royals (RR) since the inception of the IPL and also worked with Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils) for two years.

He will work with Indian players during the off-season alongside MI assistant coach Paras Mhambrey. He will join the current support staff within the highly integrated MI ecosystem and help MI build on their rich legacy in franchise cricket.

"[Bharucha] will work closely with the existing multi-disciplinary leadership group across all performance disciplines within the MI ecosystem. [He] will join the current support staff within MI's highly integrated ecosystem and build on Mumbai Indians' established approach to delivering sustained excellence in player development,” MI said in a press release.

Bharucha, who represented Mumbai (then Bombay) at the age-group level, broke into the Ranji Trophy team in the 1992-93 season. He went on to play 17 first-class matches and 11 List A games before making his final appearance in the 1994-95 season.

Mumbai Indians' dismal form in recent times

He’s highly regarded in Mumbai cricket circles for his understanding of the game. Bharucha joined Rajasthan Royals in 2008 as their team director and held the role until moving to Delhi Daredevils, where he served as technical director for two seasons in 2016 and 2017. He returned to the Royals in 2018 as director of cricket and remained in the role until 2025.

Mumbai Indians are the joint-most successful franchise in the IPL, having won the title five times. However, they have missed the playoffs in four of the last six seasons, finishing ninth or 10th in three of those campaigns. Their current support staff includes Mahela Jayawardene as head coach, Kieron Pollard as batting coach and Lasith Malinga as bowling coach.