Mumbai Indians appoints Zubin Bharucha as Director of Performance

Mumbai: Former Rajasthan Royals (RR) team director Zubin Bharucha has joined five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Mumbai Indians (MI) as director of performance, according to Cricinfo.

Bharucha, who has been associated with RR since the inaugural IPL season in 2008 in various roles, will be responsible for working with Indian players during the off-season as part of his new role.

He will work alongside MI assistant coach Paras Mhambrey at the franchise's Mumbai-based facility throughout the year and coordinate with the coaching staff to help players achieve performance targets, as per Cricinfo.


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Bharucha has already taken charge of his new assignment and is currently on a tour of South Africa with a group of young MI players along with Mhambrey, the report added.

A former Mumbai cricketer, Bharucha represented Mumbai at the age-group level before making his first-class debut in the 1992-93 season. He played 17 first-class matches and 11 List A games before ending his playing career in the 1994-95 season.

Known for his cricketing expertise in Mumbai circles, Bharucha joined Rajasthan Royals as team director in 2008 and held the role until he moved to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) as technical director for two seasons in 2016 and 2017.

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He returned to RR in 2018 as director of cricket and remained with the franchise until 2025.

Mumbai Indians, who have won the IPL title five times, have struggled in recent seasons, missing the playoffs in four of the last six editions. The franchise currently has Mahela Jayawardene as head coach, with Kieron Pollard and Lasith Malinga serving as batting and bowling coaches, respectively.