Former Sri Lanka captain Jayawardene will become global head of performance, Mumbai said in a statement. “With the expansion of MI #OneFamily which now includes the MI Emirates and MI Cape Town along with Mumbai Indians, the team management recognized the need for a central team,” the team said.

“As part of building the structure, two MI veterans Mahela Jayawardene and Zaheer Khan with deep knowledge of the MI value system and proven track record, are being elevated to new roles.” Led by India captain Rohit Sharma, Mumbai is one of the most successful teams in the IPL, winning the tournament five times.

In his new role, Jayawardene will work closely with each of the head coaches to make sure the three teams play a consistent brand of cricket. Former India fast bowler Zaheer has been elevated to global head of cricket development from his previous position as director of cricket operations and will look after the franchise’s scouting and talent development.