Sanath Jayasuriya to step down as Sri Lanka’s head coach:Resigns before contract ends in June 2026; says, ‘Let someone else come forward’

Sri Lanka cricket legend and head coach Sanath Jayasuriya has decided to step down from his position. Jayasuriya took this major step after Sri Lanka’s poor performance in T20 World Cup 2026 and exit from Super-8 without a win. After the close 5-run defeat in the final World Cup match against Pakistan on Saturday, Jayasuriya arrived for the press conference. There he made it clear that he no longer wants to continue with this responsibility. Sanath Jayasuriya resigns before contract term ends till June 2026
Jayasuriya revealed that he hadn’t informed Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) about this yet. He said, “My contract is until June 2026, but I feel now is the right time to hand over this responsibility to someone else. I had decided two months ago during the England series that I would not continue in this position for long.” Winless exit for Sri Lanka in Super 8 stage of T20 WC 2026
Fans had high expectations from co-host Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup, but the team’s graph kept declining. In the Super-8 round, Sri Lanka faced defeats in three consecutive matches against England, New Zealand and Pakistan. Also read: Sahibzada Farhan becomes top run-scorer, surpassing Kohli’s record:Abrar Ahmed cries after Pakistan’s elimination; Shanaka looks disappointed While chasing 213 runs against Pakistan in Pallekele, the team came close to victory but couldn’t cross the line. In the group stage, Sri Lanka did defeat 2021 champions Australia, but the team couldn’t win the match against Zimbabwe. Jayasuriya emotionally said, “I wanted to end the World Cup on a good note, but I couldn’t do it the way I had thought. I am sorry about this.” Took command in 2024 as Sri Lanka’s head coach
Jayasuriya’s journey as a coach was full of ups and downs. After taking charge post the 2024 World Cup, the team created history by winning an ODI series against India after 27 years. They whitewashed New Zealand 2-0 in the Test series and improved their team ranking. Also read: Sri Lanka shatter Pakistan’s semis-hopes but lose by 5 runs:Dasun Shanaka’s heroics end Pak’s campaign, NZ qualify for semifinal Jayasuriya explained, “When I came, we were ranked 9th in ODI rankings, I took the team to number 4. In Tests also we came to sixth position, but this World Cup failure changed everything.” What’s next for Sanath Jayasuriya?
Sri Lanka Board is now looking for a foreign coach. Jayasuriya may remain with the team for the limited-overs series against Afghanistan starting March 13 in Sharjah. However, Jayasuriya has made it clear that if the board finds a better coach, they should definitely give them a chance.