Hyderabad:Former swashbuckling batter and skipper Sanath Jayasuriya has been signed by the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) as head coach of the national side for two years. The left-handed batter was working as the interim head coach earlier, but he will now work in the role permanently. He worked in the interim role during the series against India, England and New Zealand.
The former left-handed batter’s stint will be between 1 October and runs until 31 March 2026. Sri Lanka made announcement on the ‘X’ handle.
"Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce the appointment of Sanath Jayasuriya as the head coach of the national team,” the statement read.
“The Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket made this decision taking into consideration the team’s good performances in the recent tours against India, England, and New Zealand, where Jayasuriya was in charge as the ‘interim head coach.’ The appointment came into effect on October 1, 2024, and will remain until March 31, 2026."
Jaysuriya's first assignment as the interim head coach was the limited-overs series against India at home a few months back. India won the T20I series but conceded a defeat in the ODI series by 2-0. They won a bilateral series against the Indian side for the first time since 1997. The team also did well in the Test series against England losing it by 2-1.
The first assignment in the new role for the 55-year-old will be the series against West Indies which will commence on October 13. Three T20Is and three ODIs will be played in the series.
