After being promoted to the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL), former West Indies cricketer Kieron Pollard is expected to leave his position as head coach of MI London. During the 2026 season, Pollard led MI London to a fourth-place finish. Due to their lower NRR following a point tie with Sunrisers Leeds and Manchester Super Giants, they were unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Sam Curran’s team, MI London, finished fourth in the 2026 Hundred men’s competition. Their season concluded with the same number of points as the Manchester Super Giants; however, Sunrisers Leeds were also in the crowded area of the table at that point due to a lower net run rate. Before making the decision to resign, Pollard led a competitive campaign despite the close defeat.
Pollard’s exit leaves MI London searching for a new men’s head coach well ahead of the 2027 season. The support structure around him has also been disrupted. Gareth Batty, who served as one of Pollard’s assistant coaches at MI London, has left his position as Surrey’s men’s head coach to join Chennai Super Kings in an assistant coaching capacity. Batty’s move removes another familiar face from the setup that guided the club through the 2026 campaign.
Birmingham Phoenix and men’s head coach Shane Bond parted ways last month, according to Cricinfo. Jonathan Trott is reportedly one of the applicants being evaluated for the role; interviews are set for this week. Concurrent operations also include the Hundred’s retention window, which began last week and ends in mid-January. Up to 16 players may be retained by franchises at their current price points. Each team will be able to add a fifth foreign player to their squad under a confirmed rule change for 2027; however, no more than four foreign players may be included in a single starting lineup.
