Zaheer Khan’s Coaching Journey: How The Former India Star Went From Mumbai Indians To The CSK Hot Seat

Zaheer Khan spent much of his playing career making batters uncomfortable with a cricket ball in his hand. More than a decade after making his India debut, the left-arm pacer retired in 2017 and quietly began building a second career away from the spotlight.

His transition was not an overnight jump from player to head coach. Instead, Zaheer moved through several roles, from cricket operations and global development to mentoring, gradually gaining experience in the strategic and developmental sides of franchise cricket.

Now, after nearly a decade of that journey, the former India star has landed his biggest coaching assignment yet, taking charge of Chennai Super Kings for IPL 2027.

Zaheer Khan’s Mumbai Indians Chapter: From Director To Global Development Head

Zaheer’s first major step into franchise management came with Mumbai Indians in December 2018, when he was appointed Director of Cricket Operations. The role put him inside the franchise’s decision-making setup and allowed him to work on areas beyond match-day cricket, including planning and player development.

Interestingly, Zaheer already had a connection with MI as a player, having represented the franchise in 2009, 2010 and 2014, taking 29 wickets in 30 appearances.

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His management responsibilities expanded in 2022 when he moved into the role of Global Head of Cricket Development. That position gave him a broader focus on talent identification and development across the franchise’s expanding cricket ecosystem. His MI stint also coincided with the franchise’s IPL titles in 2019 and 2020.

LSG Mentor Role To First IPL Head Coaching Job With CSK

After leaving Mumbai Indians, Zaheer returned to the IPL setup with Lucknow Super Giants in 2024, joining as a mentor ahead of IPL 2025. His responsibilities included working with players and the coaching group, while his expertise naturally brought particular value to the bowling department.

The next step is significantly bigger. CSK have appointed Zaheer as their head coach for IPL 2027, replacing Stephen Fleming after the New Zealander’s 18-year association with the franchise. Crucially, this will be Zaheer’s first head-coaching role in the IPL.

And there is plenty of cricketing experience behind the move. Zaheer played 100 IPL matches, taking 102 wickets at an economy rate of around 7.6. For India, he finished with 610 international wickets across 92 Tests, 200 ODIs and 17 T20Is. He was also joint-highest wicket-taker at the 2011 ODI World Cup with 21 wickets in nine matches.

Now, the man who once led India’s pace attack has his first IPL dressing room to lead from the front.