Gary Kirsten, the esteemed former South African cricketer, has been named the new head coach for the Sri Lanka men’s national cricket team. His significant appointment is set to become effective from April 15, 2026. Kirsten brings a wealth of international coaching expertise to this role, having previously led the Indian team from 2008 to 2011 and subsequently his home country, South Africa, from 2011 to 2013.
During his tenure with the Indian squad, Kirsten famously guided them to a historic victory in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2011. Under his stewardship, South Africa also achieved significant milestones, notably climbing to the number one ranking across all three formats of international cricket in 2013. Most recently, Kirsten served as a consultant for Cricket Namibia, assisting with their preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
As a player, Kirsten enjoyed a distinguished career representing South Africa from 1993 to 2004. He amassed an impressive 14,087 runs across Test matches and One-Day Internationals, including 21 Test centuries and 13 ODI centuries, establishing himself as a highly dependable opening batter for his nation.
Kirsten has signed a two-year agreement with Sri Lanka Cricket, which will span until April 14, 2028. A key objective of his new role will be to meticulously prepare the national squad for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, which is scheduled to be co-hosted by South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
This leadership change follows the resignation of former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya from his coaching position, prompted by a disappointing performance in the recent T20 World Cup. Jayasuriya had taken the reins shortly after the 2024 T20 World Cup, enjoying an initially promising period. Under his guidance, Sri Lanka recorded a historic ODI bilateral series win against India in August 2024, a feat not achieved in 27 years. The team also celebrated a notable Test victory at The Oval, preceding a dominant 2-0 Test series win over New Zealand on home soil.
However, the latter part of his coaching spell was overshadowed by struggles in the shortest format of the game. Sri Lanka suffered four consecutive defeats during the home T20 World Cup 2026, resulting in an early exit. Furthermore, the team delivered underwhelming performances in both the 2025 Asia Cup and a T20I tri-series held in Pakistan.
