Mahela Jayawardene resigns as Sri Lanka's consultant coach with immediate effect

In a surprising turn of events, Mahela Jayawardene has resigned from his position as the consultant coach of the Sri Lankan team. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed the development on Wednesday, June 26. The former Sri Lankan captain, Jayawardene, began with his duty in this role starting in 2022 for a period of one year, after which it was extended for another year.

While no specific reason was mentioned for the legendary former cricketer's abrupt resignation, some are speculating that it could be because of his dissatisfaction with Sri Lanka's performance in the ongoing edition of the T20 World Cup 2024.

"Jayawardena, during his tenure, helped implement significant changes to the structure of the national team ecosystem and the High-Performance Center," said a statement from the SLC.

"Sri Lanka Cricket takes this opportunity to wish Mahela all the best in his future endeavors and thank him for the services he rendered during his tenure," they further added.

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Led by talismanic all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, the 2014 champions were placed in Group D in the first round alongside South Africa, Bangladesh, Nepal, and the Netherlands. The Island nation lost to South Africa and Bangladesh in their first two games and it severely dented their hopes of progressing beyond the first round. Their game against Nepal was washed out before they finished their campaign with an inconsequential 83-run win against the Netherlands.

What's next for Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka will look to forget their T20 World Cup 2024 debacle and put up a spirited show when they host India for a white-ball series in July and August this year. The two Asian sides will face each other in a three-match T20I series, which will be followed by three ODIs in the Island Nation.

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The first T20I will be played on July 27, while the second and third will be played on July 28 and 30 respectively. Following the T20I series, the teams will shift focus to the 50-over format as the three ODIs will be held on August 2, 4, and 7 respectively.