Sanath Jayasuriya has decided to step down as Sri Lanka men’s head coach following the team’s narrow defeat to Pakistan national cricket team, a loss that ended their World Cup campaign. Although he has yet to formally inform Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) of his decision, Jayasuriya revealed that he had already determined this tournament would be his final assignment in charge.
“I thought it was time to give it to someone else,” Jayasuriya said. “That’s why about two months ago, during the England series, I said I didn’t have hopes of staying in the job for long. I had 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.”
Despite confirming his intention to step aside, Jayasuriya stopped short of saying he would resign immediately. Sri Lanka are scheduled to tour Afghanistan for a limited-overs series beginning March 13, though that tour is currently under threat due to hostilities in the Middle East. The board may yet request that he remain in charge for the series.
“My contract runs till June,” he explained. “I haven’t given SLC any news officially yet. They don’t know that I am going to say this even. I will need to go and discuss with them. If they can get somebody [to coach the team] then definitely [they should do that].”
Jayasuriya took over as head coach soon after the 2024 T20 World Cup, and his early months brought notable success. Sri Lanka secured their first ODI bilateral series win against India in 27 years in August 2024. That momentum continued with a memorable Test victory at The Oval in September, followed by a 2-0 home Test series win against New Zealand.
Reflecting on his tenure, Jayasuriya highlighted the team’s rise in international rankings. “Over the last one-and-a-half years I was able to bring the team from where we were,” he said, noting improvements across formats. He credited his support staff for their crucial role, admitting that while he lacked extensive coaching experience, his playing career and strong backroom team helped steady the transition.
However, the latter part of his tenure was marked by struggles in T20 cricket, including four consecutive defeats in a home T20 World Cup and inconsistent performances in other tournaments.
Jayasuriya, who previously served two stints as chief selector, now prepares to close another chapter in his long association with Sri Lankan cricket.
