BREAKING: Sri Lanka appoint R Sridhar as fielding coach for T20 World Cup 2026

R Sridhar is a former fielding coach of the Indian Cricket Team.

The Sri Lankan Cricket Team has appointed R Sridhar as their fielding coach for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. They made the decision official on Wednesday, December 17.

Sridhar will also undertake the duties in Sri Lanka‘s upcoming home series against Pakistan and England and has been handed a three-month contract. The 55-year-old served as the fielding coach of the Indian Cricket Team from August 2014 to 2021.

During his long tenure, he worked under many head coaches like Duncan Fletcher, Anil Kumble, and Ravi Shastri. His contract ended after the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE. He was succeeded by T Dilip when Rahul Dravid took over as the head coach of India in November 2021.

My role is not to impose a system, but to nurture an environment: R Sridhar on taking over as Sri Lanka’s fielding coach

Speaking after his appointment, R Sridhar said he looks forward to nurturing an environment of athleticism, awareness, and pride in Sri Lankan cricket.

“Sri Lankan players have always stood for instinctive brilliance, resilience, and collective spirit. My role is not to impose a system, but to nurture an environment where athleticism, awareness, and pride in the field can grow naturally,” Sridhar stated in a statement released by SLC.

“Fielding thrives when players feel connected to the ball, to each other, and to the moment. Sri Lanka’s traditional strengths – quick hands, sharp reflexes, and fearless intent, can be further enhanced by creating realistic, game-like learning environments,” he added.

Earlier this year, the former India fielding coach conducted a 10-day specialised fielding programme at the National High Performance Centre in Sri Lanka. Recently, he served as a consultant to the Afghanistan team. Currently, Sanath Jayasuriya is the head coach of the Sri Lanka Cricket Team.

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