Sanath Jayasuriya steps down as Sri Lanka coach after T20 WC exit

Sanath Jayasuriya has decided to step down as Sri Lanka's head coach after their T20 World Cup 2026 exit. The decision came after a 5-run loss to Pakistan. Jayasuriya expressed regret for not ending the campaign on a winning note.

Sri Lanka's head coach, Sanath Jayasuriya, has decided to step down from his role as the head coach. The announcement came soon after Sri Lanka lost to Pakistan by 5 runs in their last Super eight match of the 2026 T20 World Cup.

'Couldn't end on a good note': Jayasuriya

Sharing his thoughts, the former swashbuckling left handed batsman said that he had hoped to end the world cup on a "good note", but "couldn't do that as much as I thought". Co-hosts Sri Lanka, who had already been knocked out of the semifinal race could not end their campaing on a winning note. Sanath Jayasuriya said he felt it was time to hand over the role to someone else and had already decided during the England series earlier that he would not continue for long. "I thought I should give that title to someone else. That's why I mentioned two months ago during the England series that I have no plans staying here. So, I said that after taking that decision. I thought from the World Cup, I would be able to leave here as the coach in a good note. I couldn't do that as much as I thought. I feel sorry about that," the former Sri Lankan cricketer said as quoted by the ICC website.

Future discussions with Sri Lanka Cricket

Jayasuriya said that he will discuss his plans with the Sri Lanka Cricket Board. "My contract ends in June. I have not given my official decision or anything to Sri Lanka Cricket. I have to go and discuss with them. Have to talk about what do I have to do," he added.

Sri Lanka vs Pakistan T20 WC 2026 Match Recap

Coming to the Sri Lanka vs Pakistan T20 WC 2026 match, Half-centuries from skipper Dasun Shanaka and Pavan Rathnayake were not enough after Pakistan posted 212/8 after a 176-run opening stand between Sahibzada Farhan (100) and Fakhar Zaman (84). However, Pakistan failed to secure a semifinal spot, as they failed to overtake New Zealand on net run rate. (ANI)

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