Mumbai Indians will face Chennai Super Kings in the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday (September 19). The league was supposed to finish in May in India, but it was postponed because to COVID-19. The BCCI opted to move the event to the UAE after the nation was afflicted by the second wave of the virus.
The event will be held in the United Arab Emirates for the second year in a row. There are 31 matches in the IPL's UAE leg. The majority of the players have arrived in the UAE and have completed their quarantine. A few players have also opted to leave the league. The franchisees have roped in their replacements.
Because the IPL is one of the most popular cricket tournaments, fans are familiar with the players who compete. However, many people are unfamiliar with the franchises' head coaches. Here's a look at the IPL franchises' head coaches ahead of the tournament's beginning.
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Punjab Kings: Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble, the only 'Indian' head coach in the Indian Premier League, is in charge of the Punjab Kings (PBKS). He joined the franchise as director of cricket prior to the IPL 2020 season and remains in charge. PBKS failed to qualify for the second round of the previous season under Kumble. The team captained by KL Rahul is now ranked 6th in the points table.
Mumbai Indians: Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene, the head coach of the Mumbai Indians, is on the verge of winning the IPL for the first time. Jayawardene is one of the most successful coaches in the IPL, having led MI to three IPL titles in only four years. The only time MI failed to win the championship while he was in charge was in 2018, when they were eliminated from the league stage after losing a must-win tie to Delhi Capitals. In barely four years, the Sri Lanka icon has established his credentials in the league and may be considered the most successful coach so far.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Trevor Bayliss
Sunrisers Hyderabad offered Trevor Bayliss the position of head coach shortly after the 2019 World Cup. In addition, England's World Cup-winning coach joined the team. He took over from Tom Moody, who returned to the role of director of cricket this year. SRH advanced to the second round of the IPL 2020 under Bayliss, but were defeated by Delhi Capitals in the second Qualifier.
The franchise is currently ranked bottom in the IPL 2021, with only one win in seven matches. They will be eliminated from the competition if they lose a couple of games in the UAE leg of the season.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Mike Hesson
Mike Hesson joined Royal Challengers Bangalore just days after losing out to Ravi Shastri for the role of Team India's head coach. Simon Katich was the head coach, and Hesson was the director of cricket. Hesson will fill in for Katich, who has withdrew from the UAE leg of the IPL 2021.
RCB has done well under Hesson, reaching the second round of the IPL 2020. They are currently in third position with five victories from seven games this season. During the India leg of the season, RCB also rose to the top.
Rajasthan Royals: Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara, who joined the Rajasthan Royals (RR) as director of cricket ahead of the IPL 2021 season, will continue to perform the dual role. Andrew McDonald, RR's former head coach, had left the team before the season began. Last year, RR came in eighth place under his leadership.
Chennai Super Kings: Stephen Fleming
Stephen Fleming, the longest-serving chief coach in the IPL's history, has been in charge since 2009. He began his IPL career as a player for Chennai Super Kings before becoming the team's main coach the next year. Fleming came to Rising Pune Supergiant for the IPL 2016 and 2017 seasons, and he is likely close with MS Dhoni.
When CSK made a comeback in 2018, he rejoined the team. Fleming has been the most consistent coach in the IPL, guiding CSK to the second round in 10 of his 11 seasons with the team. The IPL trophy has been won three times by the Yellow Army.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum joined the Kolkata Knight Riders before the IPL 2020 season and is now in his second year as the team's head coach. He is also a former captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders. Last year, KKR failed to advance to the second round of the IPL, whereas this year they are ranked seventh in the points table.