Kieron Pollard and Lisa Keightley will run MI London’s men’s and women’s sides when the Hundred returns this summer, the club confirmed on Friday.
Pollard, 38, shifts from the dressing-room to the dug-out. The former West Indies all-rounder played more than 200 IPL matches for Mumbai Indians and still serves as their batting coach. In recent seasons he has popped up for MI’s other satellite teams in South Africa, the United States and the UAE, even captaining MI Emirates to last month’s ILT20 final.
A brief spell with Surrey in the 2022 Vitality Blast means the Kia Oval is familiar ground, while two previous Hundred campaigns – London Spirit in 2022 and Southern Brave in 2024 – give him a working knowledge of the competition’s format.
“I am honoured to take on the role of Head Coach with MI London,” Pollard said. “Having played in The Hundred and for Surrey, I’ve seen first-hand the strong alignment between Surrey’s cricketing culture and the Mumbai Indians’ winning ethos. This is an exciting opportunity to build a strong team, create a high-performance culture, and work towards sustained success in the seasons ahead.”
Keightley arrives with equally solid credentials. The Australian guided Northern Superchargers (now Sunrisers Leeds) to last year’s women’s title, coaches Mumbai Indians in the WPL and runs Sydney Thunder in the WBBL. Her stint as England Women’s head coach from 2019-22 brought a World Cup final appearance.
“I’m delighted to join MI London women’s team for the 2026 season. Having witnessed the team’s past success and now stepping into this role, I’m looking forward to the journey and to a new challenge after winning The Hundred last season,” she said. “The Kia Oval is a brilliant place to play and gives me a unique chance to combine Surrey’s rich cricketing heritage with the global winning culture of the MI family. My focus at MI London will be to bring the trophy home and build a high-performance environment where players can thrive, play fearless cricket, and continue to win.”
MI London is the rebranded Oval Invincibles – the competition’s most decorated outfit. The women claimed the first two trophies in 2021 and 2022; the men have lifted the last three titles.
All-rounder Sam Curran has already replaced Sam Billings as men’s captain, part of a wider refresh that also sees Surrey directors Alec Stewart and Emma Calvert join MI London’s leadership committees, guaranteeing local input alongside the franchise’s global operation.
