Sanath Jayasuriya to Step Down as Sri Lanka Head Coach After T20 World Cup 2026

Sanath Jayasuriya’s second phase in Sri Lanka Cricket is coming to an end. The former Sri Lankan opener will step down as head coach after the team’s last T20 World Cup 2026 match against Pakistan on February 28 at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. 

Sanath Jayasuriya still had a coaching contract with Sri Lanka Cricket until March 31, 2026. However, he had already said in January that he would step down after the home ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, no matter what the results were. Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign ended after disappointing performances against England national cricket team and New Zealand national cricket team. The team’s problems increased due to injuries to key players Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana. After Sri Lanka’s elimination, captain Dasun Shanaka openly spoke about the team’s struggles and disappointment.

Sanath Jayasuriya to step down as Sri Lanka head coach after T20 World Cup

Sanath Jayasuriya started his coaching role with Sri Lanka Cricket in July 2024 on an interim basis. The start was positive, as Sri Lanka won their first bilateral ODI series against India in 27 years, securing a 2–0 victory and boosting confidence in the team’s white-ball future. Shortly after, they registered a landmark Test victory over England at The Oval, their first in England in a decade. Those results paved the way for his full-time appointment on October 1, 2024, on a two-year deal. The momentum continued with a 2-0 Test series sweep over New Zealand, briefly lifting Sri Lanka to third in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings.

To prepare for the 2026 T20 World Cup, Sanath Jayasuriya had an experienced support staff with the Sri Lanka Cricket team. Vikram Rathour joined as batting coach from January 18 to March 10, 2026. R. Sridhar worked as fielding coach from December 2025 to March 2026. Lasith Malinga was the bowling consultant, and Rene Ferdinands became the spin bowling coach in February.

Even with this support staff, Sri Lanka could not make a deep run in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 and failed to reach the semi-finals. This result reportedly left Jayasuriya disappointed. During his time as coach, Sri Lanka played 74 matches across formats under Jayasuriya. The team won 34, lost 38, and two matches had no result. Today’s T20 World Cup match against Pakistan national cricket team will also act as a farewell game. Sri Lanka will hope to give their fans a good result in Kandy. It marks the end of Jayasuriya’s coaching chapter, which had some highs but ends with unfinished work.

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by Dwijesh February 27, 2026