Former captain Sanath Jayasuriya has been appointed as Sri Lanka’s head coach following a successful stint in an interim role.
The 55-year-old former all-rounder took charge in July after the departure of former England coach Chris Silverwood.
Under Jayasuriya’s leadership, Sri Lanka achieved victory in the third Test against England at The Oval and secured a win in two Tests against New Zealand last month.
He has signed a contract that runs until the end of March 2026, covering the upcoming T20 World Cup, which Sri Lanka will co-host with India in early 2026.
Jayasuriya is already regarded as one of Sri Lanka’s greatest players, with a distinguished career that includes 110 Tests, 445 One Day Internationals, and 31 T20s.
As a powerful opener and skilled left-arm spinner, Jayasuriya was part of the Sri Lankan team that won the World Cup in 1996 and reached the final in 2007.
Since retiring, he has served as a member of Parliament in his home country and held the position of chief selector for the cricket board.
In 2019, he was banned for two years after admitting to breaches of the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption code.
Before the Test series in England, Jayasuriya also guided the team to a one-day international series victory against India.
Despite losing the Test series against England 2-1, Sri Lanka’s victory in the final match and their 2-0 series win at home against New Zealand have kept their hopes alive for qualifying for next year’s World Test Championship final.