Former India head coach Gary Kirsten has been appointed as head coach of Srilanka men’s national cricket team. He will take charge on April 15 on a two year contract with his tenure running until April 14 2028. Gary Kirsten replaces Sanath Jayasuriya who stepped down after the recently concluded T20 World Cup.

“Appointment of the new head coach is part of Srilanka cricket’s effort to revamp the structure of the National High Performance Center,” Srilanka Cricket in a media release said.

Under Sanath Jayasuriya, Srilanka won their first ODI series against India after 27 years. In the T20 World Cup, Srilankan cricket team campaign ended at the Super 8 stage.

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As coach, Gary Kirsten guided India to their historic 2011 ODI World Cup triumph in Mumbai. He coached South Africa team and served as consultant for Namibia cricket team during the T20 World Cup.

He resigned as Pakistan Cricket team white ball coach in October 2024 after serving only six months in the role. He cited limited authority over team selections and other agendas within the board as the main reason behind his decision to step down.

During the Indian Premier League 2022 season, Gary Kirsten served as batting coach when Gujarat Titans won their maiden title. He served as batting coach for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018, before becoming head coach and mentor in 2019.

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 will be the major tournament during Gary Kirsten’s tenure as coach of the Srilanka men’s national cricket team. The tournament will be played across South Africa , Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Kirsten played 101 tests and 185 ODIs for South Africa during his international playing career. He scored 7289 test runs with a highest score of 275, maintaining an impressive batting average of 45.27. 21 test centuries and 34 half centuries under his belt in his test career.

From 185 ODIs, he scored 6798 runs at an average of 40.95 with a highest score of 188. In his ODI career he scored 13 centuries and 45 half centuries.