Sanath Jayasuriya to Leave Sri Lanka Head Coach Role After T20 World Cup

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Sanath Jayasuriya's time as the head coach of the Sri Lankan cricket team is coming to an end. The famous former opening batsman will leave his position after Sri Lanka plays its final T20 World Cup 2026 match against Pakistan on February 28 in Pallekele. Even though his official contract lasts until March 31, 2026, Jayasuriya had already made it clear in January that he would not stay past this home World Cup, no matter how the team performed.

Sri Lanka's journey in the T20 World Cup did not meet fans' expectations. Their campaign ended early after they failed to perform well against England and New Zealand.

Jayasuriya first took on the role of interim coach in July 2024, and the start was very promising. He guided Sri Lanka to their first bilateral ODI series win over India in 27 years with a 2-0 victory and a historic Test match win over England at The Oval resulted in a full-time, two-year contract for him since 2024. Under his guidance, Sri Lanka temporarily pushed themselves to third place in the World Test Championship standings following a 2-0 Test series sweep over New Zealand.

To prepare for the 2026 T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka Cricket gave Jayasuriya a highly experienced support staff that included Vikram Rathour as the batting coach, R. Sridhar as the fielding coach, Lasith Malinga as the bowling consultant, and Rene Ferdinands as the spin bowling coach.

Despite having this strong backup team and the advantage of playing at home, Sri Lanka could not make it to the semi-finals. This early exit has reportedly left Jayasuriya deeply disappointed.

Today's match against Pakistan will serve as a farewell game for Jayasuriya. It will give the fans in Kandy a chance to show their support. His coaching journey started with major historic highs but is concluding with what feels like "unfinished business."

His departure marks the close of a coaching era that showcased immense potential and brilliant highs, but ultimately fell short of its biggest goal on the world stage.