Sanath Jayasuriya appointed Sri Lanka's full-time head coach

Sri Lanka's legendary batter Sanath Jayasuriya has been appointed as the full-time head coach of the national cricket team until the conclusion of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Impressed by his recent performances in the role, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has decided to offer him the position permanently.

Jayasuriya took on the role of interim coach in July and since then, Sri Lanka has delivered satisfactory performances in series against India, England, and New Zealand. Due to these successes, SLC has decided to extend his tenure as head coach for a longer period.

Under Jayasuriya's guidance, Sri Lanka won their first bilateral ODI series against India in 27 years, defeated England in a Test match for the first time in a decade, and recently whitewashed New Zealand 2-0 at home. The team is now dreaming of reaching the World Test Championship final, currently sitting in third place on the points table with 5 wins from 9 matches.

In a statement, SLC mentioned, “The Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket took this decision considering the team's good performances in recent series against India, England, and New Zealand, where Jayasuriya served as the 'interim head coach.'”

Jayasuriya's first assignment as the full-time head coach will be the upcoming limited-overs series against the West Indies, scheduled to take place in Dambulla and Pallekele.