ILT20 2026/27: Mark Boucher appointed MI Emirates head coach
What's the story
MI Emirates have announced the appointment of former South African wicketkeeper-batter Mark Boucher as their head coach for the upcoming ILT20 2026/27 season. He takes over from former India batter Robin Singh, who led MI Emirates to victory in the 2024 ILT20. The announcement comes just a day before the auction for the tournament's fifth edition in Dubai on Wednesday.
Past performance
Boucher's previous stints with MI franchise
Boucher has previously worked with an MI franchise as head coach of Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2023 and 2024.
Under his guidance, the five-time champions reached the 2023 playoffs but finished last among 10 teams in 2024.
He later coached MI New York in Major League Cricket (MLC), leading them to victory in 2025.
Coaching credentials
Boucher's coaching experience and playing career
Boucher also has a wealth of international coaching experience, having served as South Africa's head coach from December 2019 to November 2022.
He had a stellar playing career, featuring in 147 Tests, 295 ODIs, and 25 T20Is before retiring from international cricket in 2012, according to Cricinfo.
In franchise cricket, he represented two IPL franchises over four seasons and played three Champions League seasons.
Auction plans
ILT20 2026-27 schedule and MI Emirates auction details
The upcoming ILT20 will be held from November 22 to December 20.
Ahead of the auction, MI Emirates have a budget of $1,390,000.
The team need to buy four UAE players, seven from Full Member teams, and one each from Associate countries Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
However, the availability of UAE players is uncertain due to their ongoing ODI World Cup qualifiers, which coincide with the next season of ILT20.