Zubin Bharucha has officially joined the Mumbai Indians (MI) as Director of Performance. Bharucha brings extensive experience to the role, having spent much of his career with the Rajasthan Royals since the IPL’s inception, interrupted only by a two-year tenure with the Delhi Capitals.
“Bharucha will work closely with the existing multi-disciplinary leadership group across all performance disciplines within the MI ecosystem,” the franchise stated. “He will integrate with the current support staff to build upon Mumbai Indians’ established framework for delivering sustained excellence in player development.”
Reports indicate that Bharucha’s role specifically involves overseeing the development of Indian players during the off-season. Operating from the team’s Mumbai hub, he will collaborate with assistant coach Paras Mhambrey and coordinate with the broader coaching staff to ensure players meet specific performance targets.Bharucha has already assumed his duties and is currently in South Africa with a contingent of young MI players, accompanied by Mhambrey.
A former cricketer who represented Mumbai at the age-group level and appeared in 17 first-class and 11 List A matches between 1992 and 1995, Bharucha is well-respected for his tactical acumen. He served as team director for Rajasthan Royals starting in 2008, spent two seasons as technical director for the Delhi Daredevils (2016–2017), and returned to the Royals as director of cricket from 2018 until 2025.The five-time IPL champions are looking to revitalize their form after missing the playoffs in four of the last six seasons. Bharucha joins a high-profile support staff that includes head coach Mahela Jayawardene, batting coach Kieron Pollard, and bowling coach Lasith Malinga.
