Subramaniam Badrinath has defended Mahela Jayawardene following the former Sri Lankan captain's departure from Mumbai Indians. The franchise parted ways with Jayawardene as head coach after two seasons, during which he led the team to three IPL titles. Badrinath believes the coach has been unfairly blamed for the franchise's recent struggles.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Cric it with Badri, Badrinath outlined his perspective on Jayawardene's exit and the broader pattern of coaching changes in the league. Badrinath expressed strong support for Jayawardene's track record at Mumbai Indians and questioned whether the coach could have influenced individual player performances during the franchise's recent downturn.
"He did brilliantly with MI, and they won three titles under him. But he has been made the scapegoat for their recent struggles. What more could he have done? They had such a great team. Could he have taught Hardik Pandya how to bowl or Rohit Sharma how to play the pull shot or Bumrah how to bowl yorkers? They are all proven performers," Badrinath said in the aforementioned source.
Why has Jayawardene been made the scapegoat?
Badrinath drew a parallel with Chennai Super Kings, which parted ways with long-time head coach Stephen Fleming after missing the playoffs for a third consecutive season in IPL 2026. He argued that both coaches have become targets for franchise restructuring rather than being held responsible for circumstances beyond their control.
"Whenever a franchise wants to make a change, the coach often becomes the scapegoat. The same thing happened with CSK and Stephen Fleming. Both Mahela and Fleming have been made scapegoats. Both CSK and MI have lacked leadership for the last few seasons," Badrinath said.
Mumbai Indians finished ninth on the league table in IPL 2026, winning just four matches out of their 14 outings. The franchise had remained trophyless in their last six seasons, a significant decline from their period of success under Jayawardene's coaching.
What is Badrinath's suggestion for MI's next coach?
Badrinath suggested a potential solution for Mumbai Indians' coaching vacancy. He proposed that if Rohit Sharma is appointed captain, Rahul Dravid could be a strong candidate for the head coach position.
"If Rohit Sharma is made captain, Rahul Dravid might be a good option as MI's next head coach. They share a great relationship and helped India win the T20 World Cup," Badrinath said.
