Sri Lanka Appoints Gary Kirsten as New Head Coach Ahead of 2027 World Cup

New Delhi | 9 March 2026 Sri Lanka national cricket team has announced the appointment of former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten as the new head coach of its men’s national side. According to the announcement, Kirsten will officially take charge of the team from April 15. His appointment comes after former head coach Sanath Jayasuriya stepped down from the role following Sri Lanka’s narrow five-run defeat to Pakistan national cricket team in their final Super Eight match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. Kirsten is widely respected in international cricket for his successful coaching career. One of his biggest achievements came when he guided the India national cricket team to victory in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. He later worked with the South Africa national cricket team, helping them reach the number one position in international rankings across all formats in 2013. Most recently, he served as a consultant for Namibia national cricket team during the T20 World Cup 2026. Before becoming a coach, Kirsten enjoyed an impressive playing career with South Africa from 1993 to 2004. During that period, he scored more than 14,000 international runs. In Test cricket, he made 7,289 runs in 101 matches, including 21 centuries and 34 half-centuries. In One Day Internationals, he scored 6,798 runs in 185 games, registering 13 hundreds and 45 fifties, making him one of the most reliable batters of his era. As Sri Lanka’s new head coach, Kirsten’s main task will be to prepare the team for upcoming international tournaments, especially the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, which will be hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Cricket experts believe his experience as both a successful player and a respected coach could help strengthen Sri Lanka’s performance on the global stage. Sri Lanka Appoints Gary Kirsten as New Head Coach Ahead of 2027 World Cup Sri Lanka national cricket team has announced the appointment of former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten as the new head coach of its men’s national side. According to the announcement, Kirsten will officially take charge of the team from April 15. His appointment comes after former head coach Sanath Jayasuriya stepped down from the role following Sri Lanka’s narrow five-run defeat to Pakistan national cricket team in their final Super Eight match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. Kirsten is widely respected in international cricket for his successful coaching career. One of his biggest achievements came when he guided the India national cricket team to victory in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. He later worked with the South Africa national cricket team, helping them reach the number one position in international rankings across all formats in 2013. Most recently, he served as a consultant for Namibia national cricket team during the T20 World Cup 2026. Before becoming a coach, Kirsten enjoyed an impressive playing career with South Africa from 1993 to 2004. During that period, he scored more than 14,000 international runs. In Test cricket, he made 7,289 runs in 101 matches, including 21 centuries and 34 half-centuries. In One Day Internationals, he scored 6,798 runs in 185 games, registering 13 hundreds and 45 fifties, making him one of the most reliable batters of his era. As Sri Lanka’s new head coach, Kirsten’s main task will be to prepare the team for upcoming international tournaments, especially the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, which will be hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Cricket experts believe his experience as both a successful player and a respected coach could help strengthen Sri Lanka’s performance on the global stage.