Sanath Jayasuriya to step down as Sri Lanka head coach
Jayasuriya acknowledged that his original contract with the board ran until June 2026
Sanath Jayasuriya has decided to step down from his role as head coach of the Sri Lanka men's cricket team, a position he has held since shortly after the 2024 T20 World Cup.
The announcement comes in the wake of Sri Lanka's disappointing campaign on home soil, where they failed to progress beyond the Super Eights stage of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The former legendary captain's departure was confirmed after Sri Lanka's final match of the tournament, a narrow five-run defeat to Pakistan in Pallekele .
It is understood that Jayasuriya had not previously informed Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) of his intention to leave the role.
Speaking at the post-match press conference following the Pakistan game, Jayasuriya acknowledged that his original contract with the board ran until June 2026.
There remains a possibility that he could oversee the upcoming bilateral series against Afghanistan, a white-ball tour comprising T20Is and ODIs, which is scheduled to begin in Sharjah on March 13 .
Jayasuriya's time as coach began on an interim basis after the 2024 T20 World Cup, a stint marked by immediate and historic success. Under his guidance, Sri Lanka secured their first bilateral One-Day International series victory over India in 27 years during August 2024.
This was followed by a famous Test match win against England at The Oval that September, and a comprehensive 2-0 Test series sweep against New Zealand on home soil.
These achievements quickly led to his appointment as full-time head coach on October 1, 2024.
However, the initial promise of the "Jayasuriya effect" faded over the subsequent year. The latter half of his tenure has been defined by a string of poor results and high-profile failures.
This World Cup exit was the culmination of a broader period of underachievement. Sri Lanka had a modest showing at the 2025 Asia Cup and underwhelmed in a T20I tri-series in Pakistan last year.
Their preparation for the World Cup was also called into question after they were swept 3-0 by England in a bilateral T20I series immediately prior to the main event.
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