Sri Lanka hire Team India fielding coach for T20 World Cup 2026

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Wednesday, December 17, appointed R. Sridhar as fielding coach for the national men’s team until the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka. The former India coach will also join the coaching setup for Sri Lanka’s upcoming series against England and Pakistan.

Sridhar brings strong experience to his new role, having spent seven years as India’s fielding coach between 2014 and 2021. During that period, he was part of more than 300 international matches across formats. The former Hyderabad cricketer has also worked as a consultant with the Afghanistan cricket team.

Sri Lanka Cricket ropes in R. Sridhar for T20 World Cup 2026

Sri Lanka Cricket said that R. Sridhar will strengthen the team’s fielding in preparation for the upcoming global tournament. The board noted that he is a BCCI Level 3 coach with extensive experience.

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“A BCCI Level 3 qualified coach, R Sridhar was the fielding coach of the India national men’s team from 2014 to 2021, covering over 300 international matches,” SLC said in an official release.

Sridhar is already familiar with Sri Lanka’s setup after running a specialised 10-day fielding camp at the National High Performance Centre earlier this year. He will join the coaching group from December 11 to the end of the T20 World Cup in March 2026.

During this period, he will oversee fielding for Sri Lanka’s series against England and Pakistan, as well as their World Cup campaign.

Sri Lankan Players Have Always Stood For Instinctive Brilliance - R. Sridhar

R. Sridhar said that he will focus on building confidence and natural fielding strengths without rigid methods. Sridhar emphasized that he would create a positive environment that encourages athleticism, awareness, and pride.

“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 said in a statement released by SLC.

Sri Lanka have strengthened their coaching setup in recent months by adding Julian Wood, who specializes in power-hitting, and spin coach Rene Ferdinands. Former captain Sanath Jayasuriya remains in charge of the team as head coach.

Fielding Thrives When Players Feel Connected to the Ball - R. Sridhar

Sridhar stated that strong fielding comes from awareness rather than drills alone. He said that Sri Lanka players’ natural strengths, such as quick reflexes and fearless intent, can improve further by training in match-like situations that bring players closer to real game moments.

“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,” Sridhar further added.

Sri Lanka have been placed in Group B for the T20 World Cup, where they will compete against Australia, Ireland, Oman, and Zimbabwe. They will begin their campaign at home in Colombo, with an opening match against Ireland on February 8 at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

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