Sanath Jayasuriya to resign as Sri Lanka head coach: Jayasuriya, devastated by the defeat on the last ball from Pakistan, resigns from the post of Sri Lanka’s coach.

New Delhi. Former explosive opener of Sri Lankan cricket Sanath Jayasuriya took a big decision after Sri Lanka’s exit in the Super 8 of the 2026 T20 World Cup. After three consecutive defeats, he has decided to resign from the post of head coach of the team. The decision comes after another disappointing ICC campaign for 2014 champions Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is now in talks with several foreign candidates to begin the search for his successor.

Jayasuriya joined the team as interim head coach in July 2024 and was given the responsibility of full-time coach in October. His contract was till June 2026, but after the team’s poor performance in the latest World Cup, the former captain has decided to step down prematurely. Although there was a shocking defeat against Zimbabwe in the last match of the group stage, but due to the big win over Australia, the team reached the Super 8. But the second round was very bad for the team. Sri Lanka’s journey ended after consecutive defeats to England, New Zealand and Pakistan and since 2014, the team has not been able to reach the semi-finals in the fifth consecutive T20 World Cup.

The co-host team was very close to ending their campaign on a high when Dasun Shanaka played a stormy inning of 76 not out in just 31 balls against Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Chasing the target of 213 runs, Sri Lanka lost by just five runs in a thrilling match, which tells the story of missed opportunities in the tournament.

During Jayasuriya’s tenure, Sri Lanka played a total of 76 international matches in all formats, in which 34 wins were recorded and the total winning percentage was around 45. Speaking to the Sunday Times, SLC Chief Executive Officer Ashley de Silva confirmed that the board has started formal talks with foreign coaching candidates.
“We are in talks with some foreign coaches,” de Silva said. “We cannot reveal their names at this time, but we will make a public announcement as soon as the talks are complete.”

Sri Lanka’s next match is a limited overs series against Afghanistan in UAE in mid-March.