The Mumbai Indians have appointed Luke Williams as their head coach for the upcoming Women’s Premier League 2027 season.

He will be taking over after the departure of the former Australian cricketer Lisa Keightley from the role. Luke Williams won the Bradman Medal three times for grade cricket in the 2005-06, 2007/08 and 2009/10 seasons.

He has two decades of coaching experience across Australia, England, and India, which includes serving as Assistant coach of England’s Women’s Team since 2025.

Luke Williams 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 coached Adelaide Strikers.

Speaking on the appointment, Mumbai Indians owner Nita Ambani said, “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.

Luke Williams’ main priority is to make 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, while the five franchises will finalise their list of retained players from existing squads.

The auction 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 07, 2027, though the host cities for the five-team tournament are yet to be revealed.