T20 World Cup 2026: ‘We should say sorry and ask for forgiveness’ – Sanath Jayasuriya apologises for Sri Lanka’s performance

Sri Lanka’s head coach, Sanath Jayasuriya, recently stepped down from his role and shared a heartfelt apology. Jayasuriya stood before the press after their narrow defeat to Pakistan and addressed the nation. The former World Cup hero said sorry to Sri Lanka’s 22 million fans for a Super Eight performance.

Sri Lanka was the only team in their Super Eight group to finish winless. Their campaign had already taken a hit in the group stage with a shock defeat to Zimbabwe, but the real damage came later. Losses to England and New Zealand were affected by alarming batting collapses. The defeats ended their semi-final hopes and triggered visible frustration among supporters, both in stadiums and online.

The final act came against Pakistan. Chasing 212, Sri Lanka looked down and out before captain Dasun Shanaka produced a brilliant 76 not out off just 31 balls. His late fight, especially in the final over, nearly pulled off the improbable. But Sri Lanka fell short by five runs, a result that summed up their campaign. Jayasuriya, however, refused to hide behind and apologised while giving his resignation.

“I’m very sad as a coach that we’re not in the semi-finals. Our 22 million people around the country really wanted us to be in that semi-final. We feel that sadness. We should say sorry and ask for forgiveness. It was in our hands and then we let it slip. I don’t know if these players will ever get the chance again to play a World Cup at home. I’m in anguish about the fans, because I know how disappointed they must be. From the first match, they gave the team as much support as they could. They must be angry at us, and they must be scolding us, including on social media. Even when we go on the street they must be scolding us. But this is the only sport we have in this country. We know that. When we don’t do well, we have to understand the hurt they feel. We have to stay humble and accept our mistakes,” Jayasuriya said.

Injuries, he pointed out, had severely disrupted their plans. The loss of star allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga early in the tournament was a massive blow. Fast bowlers Eshan Malinga and Matheesha Pathirana were also ruled out at different stages. While Jayasuriya conceded that replacements needed to step up, he was frank in admitting that players of Hasaranga’s calibre are not easily replaced.

“What went wrong was in the first match itself Wanindu Hasaranga got injured, and that was a big loss. He’s the best player in my team and an allrounder. Then Eshan Malinga got a shoulder dislocation. After that, just as Matheesha Pathirana was starting to bowl well, he got injured. I had those setbacks, but those aren’t excuses. The replacements have to perform. It’s hard to find a replacement for a player like Wanindu Hasaranga. That player doesn’t exist right now. To replace a player like Matheesha Pathirana is also difficult. They players who came in weren’t quite there in the competitive moments. In the England match, we could have chased 140 in Pallekele. But we gave away wickets unnecessarily and lost. In the New Zealand game, we didn’t bat well again in Khettarama,” Jayasuriya added.

Soon after the Pakistan match, Jayasuriya revealed he had decided to step down as head coach. Though his contract runs until June, he described this World Cup as his final assignment. Having taken charge after the 2024 T20 World Cup, he oversaw notable highs, including an ODI series win against India after 27 years and a Test victory at The Oval. 

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