Sanath Jayasuriya is rumoured to step down or be sacked as Sri Lanka's head coach following a disappointing T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. Check out what went wrong for his and Sri Lanka's cricket team.
Former Sri Lanka cricket legend and their current head coach, Sanath Jayasuriya, is likely to step down from his current duties after the T20 World Cup 2026. The premier reason that is evident behind this call is the lacklustre performance of the Lankan cricket team in the ongoing T20 World Cup edition, which is currently underway on their soil.
There have also been words that either Jayasuriya will resign or be officially removed from the post by Sri Lanka Cricket. Behind this lies the accumulation of tactical misjudgments and inconsistent performances that had the co-hosts groaning and struggling to maintain their momentum whenever facing the big opponents during the whole tournament.
Sanath Jayasuriya’s tenure as a coach with the team started with a burst of energy and pride, but now it looks like things have hit a wall. People inside Sri Lanka Cricket say the executive committee isn’t happy at all with how the team prepared, especially using old-school methods when it mattered most in the Super 8 games.
Sure, Jayasuriya got credit for turning things around in white-ball cricket in late 2024 and through 2025, but stumbling when the spotlight was brightest, especially at home, has left the board ready to move on.
Sri Lanka kicked off their campaign with a bang, hitting a historic high right out they began. Pathum Nissanka stole the show by smashing an unbeaten 100 off just 52 balls against Australia, making the tournament a one to remember for him.
But things went downhill fast. Once the Super 8s rolled around, the co-hosts just couldn’t get it together. They suffered two straight losses in the Super 8s, and their journey ended sooner than anyone hoped.
| Stage | Opponent | Result | Margin |
| Group B | Ireland | Won | 7 Wicket Victory |
| Group B | Oman | Won | 48 Run Victory |
| Group B | Australia | Won | 8 Wickets (Nissanka 100)* |
| Group B | Zimbabwe | Loss | 12 Run Defeat |
| Super 8 | England | Loss | 51 Run Defeat |
| Super 8 | New Zealand | Loss | 61 Run Defeat |
| Super 8 | Pakistan | Pending | Scheduled: Feb 28, 7 PM IST |
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