Two months down the lane Sanath Jayasuriya was appointed the full-time head coach of Sri Lanka after serving his term on an interim basis for around three months. Sanath Jayasuriya stepped into the coaching role following the exit of Chris Silverwood after the T20 World Cup in 2024.
In the 445 ODIs he played, the left-hander Sanath Jayasuriya struck 13,430 runs at an average of 32.36, with 28 hundreds and 68 half centuries. Sanath Jayasuriya was a key member of the Sri Lankan team that won 1996 ODI World Cup. He also served as Member of Parliament from 2010-15. The Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket made the decision to appoint Sanath Jayasuriya as the permanent head coach taking into consideration the team’s good performances in the recent tours against India, England, and New Zealand.
Sanath Jayasuriya’s career as Sri Lanka’s interim and permanent coach
Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya was appointed as the permanent coach of the Sri Lankan men’s national side on Monday. Sanath Jayasuriya, who was holding an interim position as head coach, overlooked Sri Lanka’s recent series against India, England and New Zealand. While the Lankans endured a 2-1 Test series defeat in England and in the T20Is against India, Jayasuriya’s side stunned Rohit Sharma’s men in the 50-over format in August.
Sri Lanka also proceeded to blank New Zealand in the two-match Test series at Galle, improving their stand in the current World Test Championship cycle. Sanath Jayasuriya’s permanent role has come to effect from October 1 and runs until March 31, 2026, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed.
Post his appointment as permanent coach , Sanath Jayasuriya thanked the board and spoke positively about his appointment and vision for Sri Lanka cricket.
Two months into his tenure as Sri Lanka’s full-time head coach, Sanath Jayasuriya has already begun to leave an indelible mark. Taking over from Chris Silverwood, who stepped down following Sri Lanka’s failure to qualify for the Super 8s in last year’s T20 World Cup, Jayasuriya has guided the team to a series of remarkable achievements.
Under his leadership, Sri Lanka has displayed a resurgence in form. Notable successes include a 2-0 Test series sweep against New Zealand, a 2-0 ODI series triumph over India, and a historic away Test win against England. Currently engaged in a T20I series against New Zealand, Sri Lanka clinched a thrilling seven-run victory in the third match, showcasing their newfound confidence and grit. The Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya is on a mission to restore the island nation’s lost cricketing glory, and the results are beginning to pour in.
Coach Sanath Jayasuriya aims to make Sri Lankan cricket great again and considers himself lucky as the Sri Lankan Coach
Reflecting on his coaching philosophy, Sanath Jayasuriya told Hindustan Times,
“I have given players a lot of confidence so they can come up and play their natural game. That’s a very important area for me to look at because I don’t want to put them under unnecessary pressure.”
The former Sri Lankan captain also highlighted the invaluable contributions of cricketing greats Kumar Sangakkara and Lasith Malinga.
“They’ve been involved right from when I became a coach, so I consider myself very lucky. Whenever I required them to do anything involving the players, Sanga and Malinga turned up. Their international experience coming through to these boys is crucial,” Jayasuriya added.
Appointed as head coach on October 7 last year, Sanath Jayasuriya’s first series in charge was against the West Indies. Sri Lanka’s recent T20I win against New Zealand was a testament to the team’s resurgence. Defending a target of 219, Sri Lanka restricted the Kiwis to 211, with Kusal Perera earning Player of the Match honours for his scintillating century. New Zealand now after the T20I series win will lock horns with Sri Lanka in the ODI series in new year starting on 5th January 2025 and Sanath Jayasuriya would hope to win this series as a morale booster for one final stint in the ICC World Test Championship vs Australia.