Luke Williams replaces Lisa Keightley as Mumbai Indians head coach for WPL 2027

Mumbai: Two-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have appointed Luke Williams as their new head coach ahead of the 2027 Women’s Premier League (WPL) season. Williams, who coached Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their maiden WPL title in 2024, takes over from Lisa Keightley, who decided to step down from her role.

"I’m really excited to be joining Mumbai Indians, a respected and successful organisation, and working with this talented group of players and support staff. We have a great opportunity to build something together, play an exciting brand of cricket and compete for success. I’m looking forward to the challenge and to giving our fans plenty to be proud of," Williams said in a statement on Thursday.

Lisa, the former Australia women’s cricketer, was made the MI head coach ahead of WPL 2026 as a replacement for Charlotte Edwards, who took up England women’s head coach job. But Lisa joining Cricket Australia as the national development lead earlier this month, where she will be responsible for the development of the women's game, left her in doubt over continuing with MI in the WPL.

Williams previously parted ways with RCB last year ahead of the mega auction held in New Delhi due to scheduling overlaps with the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), where he’s head coach of the Adelaide Strikers. "We are delighted to welcome Luke Williams to the Mumbai Indians family. Luke is a proven winner and brings with him rich experience, a deep understanding of the women’s game, and a strong commitment to developing players.

“Our girls have created a proud legacy in the WPL, and I am confident that, with Luke’s guidance and Harman’s leadership, they will continue to grow, achieve greater success, and inspire young girls everywhere to dream big.

“I wish Luke, and the entire team the very best as we begin this exciting new chapter together. I would also like to thank Lisa Keightley for her contribution to Mumbai Indians and wish her the very best for the future," said MI owner Nita M. Ambani.

The immediate priority for Williams will be to chalk out MI’s player retention and auction strategy ahead of the upcoming season. The player retention deadline for the fifth edition of the WPL is on September 28, when the five franchises will finalise their list of retained players from existing squads.

Action will then move to the WPL 2027 player auction, scheduled to be held on October 28 in Kochi. According to a BCCI statement, the tournament will be played from January 14 to February 7, 2027, though the host cities for the marquee five-team tournament are yet to be revealed.

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