Sanath Jayasuriya decides to step down as head coach following Sri Lanka's T20 WC exit

Sri Lanka head coach Sanath Jayasuriya has decided to resign from the head coach role following the team's ignominious exit from the T20 World Cup 2026.

During the post-match press conference on Saturday night after Pakistan defeated the home team by five runs, the 56-year-old stated that he had not told the board about his announcement though. Notably, the Lankan legend's contract expires in June this year but Jayasuriya reiterated that he had mentioned during the England white-ball series prior to the T20 World Cup that he did not wish to be in the role beyond the multi-nation tournament.

"I thought it was time to give it to someone else. That's why about two months ago I had said during the England series that I don't have hopes of staying in the job for long. I had taken this decision by then. I thought I would 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 would like, and I am sad about that.

"My contract runs till June. 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 (else) then definitely (they should do that)," said Jayasuriya.

Sri Lanka are slated to play a white-ball series against Afghanistan from March 13 in the UAE. Whether Jayasuriya will be a part of the support staff is uncertain. Meanwhile, the Player of the Tournament of the 1996 World Cup took over the current role after the T20 World Cup 2024. The team's fortunes began to change soon as Sri Lanka defeated India in an ODI series after 27 years in August of that year. Subsequently, they beat England at The Oval the next month registering their first Test win in the country in 10 years.

Jayasuriya looked back at his tenure and what he was able to achieve in the two years. The head coach credited his support staff in his interaction with the media and also shared about his inexperience as a coach and how he tried to learn quickly.

"Over the last one-and-a-half years I was able to bring the team from where we were. In ODIs, we were ranked eighth or ninth and we didn't even qualify for a Champions Trophy. But I was able to bring us to No. 4. I have brought the Test team to No. 6, and the T20 team is also sixth or seventh (they currently sit at eighth). I didn't do it alone. My support staff gave me incredible assistance. From day one I asked them to help me, because I didn't have a lot of experience as a coach. But I was able to manage it because of the cricket I had played."