Mumbai Indians Owners (Source: AFP Photos)Mumbai Indians, two-time Women’s Premier League (WPL) winners, will have a new head coach for the upcoming season. The franchise confirmed on Thursday that they will have Luke Williams as their new head coach for WPL 2027, replacing Lisa Keightley.MI Women, who have won WPL titles in 2023 and 2025 in four editions thus far in the competition, appointed Luke Williams to work alongside India’s current captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who has been there since the inaugural edition.Nita Ambani Welcomes Luke Williams, Eyes WPL 2027 SuccessMI co-owner, Nita Ambani, thanked Lisa Keightley for her contribution to the team. Keightley replaced Charlotte Edwards, who left the WPL franchise to fully focus on England Women’s head coaching.Unfortunately, Keightley could only work for one season, in which MI finished fourth in the five-team competition, having won three and lost five matches. She will now work as Cricket Australia's national development lead.Nita Ambani also expressed excitement about seeing Luke Williams doing great in WPL 2027 for Mumbai Indians.Also Read: Mumbai Indians Retention List, Release List, Players List Before WPL 2027 Auction"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," Nita Ambani, MI's Co-Owner, said in a statement."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," she added.Who Is Luke Williams?Luke Williams previously worked as the head coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). In fact, he helped them win the WPL title in 2024.Notably, it was RCB’s first-ever triumph in any competition before the Men’s team went on to do wonders with back-to-back IPL titles in 2025 and 2026.Before helping RCB, Williams helped Adelaide Strikers to win back-to-back WBBL titles in 2022 and 2023. He also served as assistant coach to MI’s former head coach, Charlotte Edwards, when Southern Brave won The Hundred title in 2023."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," Luke Williams said in a statement released by MI. "We have a great opportunity to build something together, play an exciting brand of cricket and compete for success."Williams To Play Key Role In MI’s WPL 2027 Auction StrategyWilliams’ first major assignment will be helping MI rebuild their squad at the WPL 2027 auction, scheduled for October 28 at the Grand Hyatt Kochi. Nevertheless, it will be a mini-auction, and hence, too much chopping and changing might not be required.However, don’t be surprised if Williams decides to make major changes in MI squad, particularly because they did not have a great campaign last time around.For those who are unaware, WPL 2027 will get underway on January 14 and will run till February 7, as confirmed by the BCCI.Also Read: Litton Das Bent On Taking Bangladesh To Asian Games Final
