Tag: Srilanka

  • Sanath Jayasuriya Appointed As Full Time Head Coach Of Sri Lanka Until 2026 | cricket news

    In a major development for Sri Lankan cricket, legendary former captain and all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya has been appointed as the new head coach of the Sri Lankan men’s cricket team. The announcement was made by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Monday, October 7, through a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), confirming Jayasuriya’s appointment as the successor to Chris Silverwood.

    Jayasuriya, a key member of Sri Lanka’s 1996 ODI World Cup-winning team, steps into the role after serving as interim head coach during the recent tours of India, England, and New Zealand, where Sri Lanka performed well under his guidance. His appointment as the full-time head coach will be effective from October 1, 2024, and he will hold the position until March 31, 2026, under an 18-month contract.

    Jayasuriya’s Coaching Journey

    Jayasuriya’s interim stint with Sri Lanka’s national team was met with success, notably during the white-ball series against India in July–August 2024. Under his leadership, Sri Lanka defeated India in a bilateral ODI series for the first time since 1997. This victory was a significant achievement for the island nation, boosting team morale after a period of inconsistent performances. Jayasuriya’s tactical approach and experience also played a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s Test success, where they registered a famous win against England at The Oval and whitewashed New Zealand 2-0 in a two-match Test series held at home.

    The former all-rounder replaces Chris Silverwood, who resigned from his role in June 2024 after Sri Lanka’s disappointing performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, where they failed to qualify for the Super 8 stage. Silverwood, who had previously coached England, stepped down after nearly two years in charge of the Sri Lankan team.

    Official Statement From Sri Lanka Cricket

    “Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce the appointment of Sanath Jayasuriya as the head coach of the national team. The Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket made this decision taking into consideration the team’s good performances in the recent tours against India, England, and New Zealand. , where Jayasuriya was in charge as the interim head coach,” said a statement from SLC on social media.

    Jayasuriya’s first assignment as the full-time head coach will come later this month when Sri Lanka hosts the West Indies for a three-match T20I series, followed by three ODIs. The two-time World Cup winners will pose a tough challenge, but Sri Lanka, riding high on recent form, will be confident under their new head coach. Beyond the immediate series, Jayasuriya will also have his eyes on the bigger goal of helping Sri Lanka qualify for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, scheduled for June 2025 at Lord’s. Currently, Sri Lanka sits in the third spot on the WTC 2023-25 ​​points table, with a strong chance to secure a place in the final.

    High Expectations From Sanath Jayasuriya

    As a player, Jayasuriya was known for his aggressive batting and effective left-arm spin, and he remains one of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated cricketers, having played 110 Tests, 445 ODIs, and 31 T20Is for the national team. His transition from player to coach is expected to bring fresh energy and experience to the team, and fans will be eager to see how his cricketing philosophy shapes the future of Sri Lankan cricket.

  • Well Done, Buddy Says Hardik Pandya On Suryakumar Yadav’s Captaincy As Head Coach Gambhir Delivers Amazing Speech | cricket news

    Newly appointed India head coach Gautam Gambhir has kicked off his tenure with a commanding 3-0 T20I series victory over Sri Lanka. In his post-series address, Gambhir praised the team’s performance and particularly praised Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership. The comments were highlighted in a video released by the BCCI on social media.

    Gambhir began his speech by extending congratulations to the team and captain Suryakumar Yadav. He emphasized the significance of their triumph, noting that their relentless effort and determination were key to their success. “Congratulations on a great series win. Special congratulations to Surya for his outstanding captaincy and his impressive performances with the bat,” Gambhir said. He acknowledged the team’s ability to fight hard for every delivery and run, which he believed was crucial to their series victory.

    The new head coach reflected on the game’s challenges and urged his players to continue improving their skills, especially in adapting to varied pitch conditions. He stressed the importance of assessing match situations quickly and understanding what constitutes a competitive score. “There’s a lot of learning from this series. We need to keep getting better, especially in handling different types of wickets,” Gambhir advised. He also set a clear expectation for the players to maintain high fitness levels in preparation for the upcoming series against Bangladesh.

    Gambhir concluded his speech with a call to action regarding fitness. He informed the players who would not participate in the 50-over format to use their break wisely and ensure they return in top condition. “Make sure that when you come back for the Bangladesh series, your fitness levels are at their peak. You don’t want to return thinking you can just turn up and perform without proper preparation,” Gambhir cautioned.

    Following Gambhir’s remarks, all-rounder Hardik Pandya took the floor to share his thoughts. Pandya echoed Gambhir’s praise for Suryakumar Yadav, highlighting his crucial role in both batting and captaincy. “First of all, well done! I think in batting first, we were challenged, and conditions were difficult, but I think after losing those early wickets Shubman (Gill) and Riyan (Parag) the way they batted and created the partnership was brilliant. When you speak about situational awareness, I think that point of time, what you both did was very, very important. And that gave us a platform to at least reach a decent total which our bowlers made sure bowl at the right areas. Especially, I always emphasize on the fact that the lower order has to come and chip in and I think Washi (Washington Sundar) and those 8 runs by Bishi (Ravi Bishnoi) were very important.”

    Head Coach Gautam Gambhir Hardik Pandya addresses the dressing room as the action now shifts to the ODIs in Colombo #TeamIndia | #SLvIND | @GautamGambhir | @hardikpandya7 pic.twitter.com/PFrTEVzdvd — BCCI (@BCCI) July 31, 2024

    “As Gauti bhai mentioned, Surya, well done on making sure that the way you rotated the bowlers, making sure, showing faith in the bowlers, which you gave in the last couple of overs. That was brilliant. And as a bowling group, obviously it was fantastic everyone chipped in, eventually it kind of takes us forward. done to all the guys who are playing ODIs, kill it!,” he said.

    India will now shift focus to the 3-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, though Suryakumar Yadav will not be part of this next leg of fixtures. The team’s preparation and performance in the ODI series will be crucial as they aim to build on their T20I success.