Sri Lanka head coach Sanath Jayasuriya has hinted that he may step down from his role after the team’s disappointing campaign in the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20 at home, though not immediately. While Jayasuriya expressed pride in the progress made during his tenure, he suggested that he would be willing to step down if Sri Lanka Cricket found a suitable successor.
Speak after Sri Lanka’s loss to Pakistan by 5 runs on SaturdayJayasuriya said discussions about his future are still ongoing, with his current contract running until June 2026. With a limited tour of Afghanistan scheduled for March, the board may prefer short-term continuity, even as it begins to explore replacement options.
SL vs PAK, T20 World Cup 2026: Scorecard | Highlighting
In the post-match press conference, Jayasuriya said:
“I thought I should give the title to someone else. That’s why I mentioned two months ago during the England series that I had no plans to stay here.”
“I regret how the World Cup ended. I could have moved this team forward by a year and a half. We moved up the rankings across formats and moved the team to better positions.”
“My contract ends in June. I haven’t communicated my official decision to Sri Lanka Cricket yet. I have to discuss with them what happens next.”
HOW WAS THE T20 WORLD CUP 2026 IN SRI LANKA?
The campaign in Sri Lanka never gained sustained momentum. After progressing from the group stage despite a shock loss to Zimbabwe, hopes of a turnaround at the Super 8 stage quickly faded.
Defeats against England, New Zealand and Pakistan ended their semi-final hopes. The loss to Pakistan was particularly painful as Sri Lanka lost just five runs while chasing 213 despite captain Dasun Shanaka’s unbeaten 76.
The early exit extended a worrying trend for the 2014 champions, who have now failed to reach the semi-finals in five consecutive editions of the T20 World Cup.
JAYASURIYA’S PERFORMANCE AS THE HEAD COACH OF SRI LANKA
Jayasuriya took charge in mid-2024, initially as interim coach before being handed a full-time role later that year.
His tenure saw remarkable highs outside the shortest format. Sri Lanka recorded their first bilateral ODI series win over India in 27 years in August 2024. They followed it up with a Test win at The Oval and a 2–0 Test series win at home against New Zealand.
However, consistency in T20 cricket has remained elusive. Sri Lanka struggled in the Asia Cup and bounced back in the tri-series in Pakistan before the World Cup setback.
Across formats, Sri Lanka have played 76 matches under Jayasuriya, winning 34 of them, reflecting steady progress despite recent frustrations in T20 cricket.
With Sri Lanka Cricket now in talks with potential overseas candidates, Jayasuriya’s future may be decided soon, but for now the former captain remains in reflection mode after a campaign that ended earlier than expected.
T20 World Cup | T20 World Cup Schedule | T20 World Cup Points Table | T20 World Cup Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
01 March 2026 08:12 IST
