Sri Lanka Cricket Appoints Gary Kirsten As Head Coach

Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten has been appointed the new Head Coach of the Sri Lanka National Men’s Cricket Team, with effect from 15th April 2026.

Sri Lanka Cricket announced that Kirsten will serve a two-year term, which will run until 14th April 2028.

Kirsten enjoyed a distinguished international career representing South Africa before moving into coaching.

He previously served as Head Coach of the India national cricket team from 2008 to 2011, and later coached South Africa from 2011 to 2013.

During his tenure with India, Kirsten guided the team to victory at the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. He also led South Africa to become the number one ranked team across all formats of international cricket in 2013.

Sri Lanka Cricket says Kirsten will play a key role in guiding the national team’s preparation and campaign for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, which will be hosted by South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

The appointment forms part of Sri Lanka Cricket’s broader effort to revamp the structure of its National High Performance Center and strengthen the development of the national team.