Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya will continue as the head coach of the Lankans for another year after achieving positive results since taking over. According to Daily Mirror Lanka, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has approved the extension of his contract, which was initially set to expire at the end of the England tour.
Jayasuriya stepped in as interim coach after Chris Silverwood resigned following Sri Lanka’s disappointing early exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup. This difficult campaign also led to Wanindu Hasaranga resigning as T20I captain.
Jayasuriya’s coaching tenure began with a 0-3 defeat to India. Despite this setback, the team showed promise by nearly pushing the Men in Blue to their limits. Their hard work paid off with a 2-0 victory in the following ODI series against India.
With the white-ball teams showcasing an aggressive style of play and achieving good results, it was time for the Test side to make an impact under Jayasuriya. He faced a challenging task as they prepared for a three-match Test series in England.
Sri Lanka lost the first two matches, resulting in a series defeat, but there were still many positives. Asitha Fernando delivered a standout bowling performance, Milan Rathnayake found his place in the bowling lineup, and Dhananjaya de Silva demonstrated strong leadership.
The Lankans were quite competitive in the first two Tests and secured a victory in the third match at The Oval, finishing the series on a positive note.
Sri Lanka is on the verge of winning their first Test series under Sanath Jayasuriya
Sri Lanka’s successful run under Jayasuriya continued as they returned home to face New Zealand. They secured a 63-run victory in the series opener and are close to achieving a clean sweep.
In the second Test at Galle, Sri Lanka declared at 602-5 and dismissed the visitors for only 88 runs. They are just two wickets away from an innings victory, advancing in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings.
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