Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten has been appointed as the head coach of the Sri Lanka national cricket team.
Sri Lanka Cricket officially announced today that Kirsten will serve in the role for a two-year period.
He fills the vacancy created after Sanath Jayasuriya stepped down from the position following the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Kirsten’s appointment will take effect from April 15, 2026, and will run until April 14, 2028.
The former opening batsman previously served as head coach of the India national cricket team from 2008 to 2011, during which India famously won the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
He also coached the South Africa national cricket team from 2011 to 2013. During his tenure, South Africa achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the world’s No.1 team across all three formats — Test, ODI and T20 — in 2013.
Kirsten’s appointment is expected to usher in a new phase for Sri Lanka as they build towards upcoming international tournaments.
