Sanath Jayasuriya Quits as Sri Lanka Coach After Poor T20 World Cup Show

Sanath Jayasuriya is stepping down as Sri Lanka's head coach after the team's disappointing T20 World Cup campaign. Sri Lanka failed to reach the semifinals, losing all three Super 8 matches. Jayasuriya, who took charge in July 2024, had a mixed tenure, leading the team to a historic ODI series win over India and a Test series victory against New Zealand. His contract was set to run until June 2026, but he decided to step down, citing the team's failure to perform in the World Cup. "I thought it was time to give it to someone else," said Jayasuriya. "That's why about two months ago I'd said during the England series that I don't have hopes of staying in the job for long. I'd taken this decision by then. I thought I'd be able to leave as coach on a good note in the World Cup. I wasn't able to do that as well as I'd like, and I'm sad about that." Jayasuriya took over as Sri Lanka head coach soon after the 2024 T20 World Cup. Many of his better accomplishments came in his first few months. Sri Lanka recorded their first ODI bilateral series win against India in 27 years in August 2024, before going on to win a Test at The Oval in September that year, then beating New Zealand 2-0 at home soon after, also in Tests. The last year of Jayasuriya's tenure has been characterised by failures in the shortest format, Sri Lanka's four consecutive losses to crash out of a home T20 World Cup chief among them. Sri Lanka had also been modest in the Asia Cup in 2025, and had underwhelmed in the T20I tri-series in Pakistan last year. Jayasuriya's highlighting his achievements as Sri Lanka's coach, pointing out the team's improvements across formats. He's proud of climbing to No. 4 in ODIs, No.6 in Tests, and pushing the T20 team to 8th (was 6th/7th during his tenure). He's crediting his support staff for their help, acknowledging his own limited coaching experience. Sanath Jayasuriya hasn't officially confirmed his immediate departure as Sri Lanka's head coach, despite announcing his intention to step down. His contract runs until June 2026, and there's a possibility he'll oversee the upcoming limited-overs series against Afghanistan starting March 13, although the tour is uncertain due to Middle East hostilities. Jayasuriya mentioned he'll discuss his future with Sri Lanka Cricket and is open to handing over if they find a suitable replacement.