Sri Lanka announced the appointment of Gary Kirsten as the new head coach of the men's national team on Monday, March 9. The former South African cricketer replaced the legendary Sanath Jayasuriya after Sri Lanka's disappointing T20 World Cup campaign.

Sanath Jayasuriya's role came under the scanner after Sri Lanka lost all three of their Super Eight games. Despite having a home advantage, the Dasun Shanaka-led side failed to reach the semifinals.

Meanwhile, Gary Kirsten, who led India to the World Cup glory in 2011 and later also coached the South African cricket team, most recently consulted Cricket Namibia at the T20 World Cup 2026.

Sri Lanka Cricket announced its decision to name Gary Kirsten as their all-format head coach through a media release on Monday. Kirsten's two-year contract will be effective from April 15, 2026.

Before taking up the coaching duties, the 58-year-old enjoyed a successful career as a player. The right-handed batter represented South Africa in 101 Tests and 185 ODIs, clinching almost 14000 international runs with the help of 34 centuries.

Sri Lanka to count on Gary Kirsten's coaching experience

Gary Kirsten's first coaching stint came with the Indian cricket team in 2008. He ended India's wait for the ODI World Cup trophy in 2011 and later joined the Proteas. He continued his coaching success by leading the South African team to the No. 1 rankings in all three formats in 2013. He also coached the Pakistani cricket team for seven months in 2024.

For the unversed, the legendary South African also coached Hobart Hurricanes, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans. His recent role as a consultant to Namibia ended after the team's group-stage exit in the T20 World Cup 2026.

Meanwhile, Sanath Jayasuriya decided to step down after Sri Lanka's heartbreaking loss against Pakistan in the group stages. The former Sri Lankan captain joined the team after the T20 World Cup 2024 and defeated India 2-0 in an ODI series at home. However, the team's struggles in the Asia Cup 2025 and the recent T20 World Cup led to his departure.