Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Wednesday, December 17, R. Sridhar has been appointed as the fielding coach for the national men’s team till the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 to be held in India and Sri Lanka. The former India coach will also be involved in 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 a part of more than 300 international matches across all formats. The former Hyderabad cricketer has also worked as a consultant with the Afghanistan cricket team.
Sri Lanka Cricket has appointed R for T20 World Cup 2026. Chose Sridhar
Sri Lanka Cricket said that R. Sridhar will strengthen the team’s fielding in preparation for the upcoming global tournament. The board said that he is a BCCI Level 3 coach with extensive experience.
“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 the Sri Lankan setup after running a 10-day special fielding camp at the National High Performance Center earlier this year. He will be part of the coaching group from December 11 till the end of the T20 World Cup in March 2026.
During this period, he will oversee Sri Lanka’s series against England and Pakistan as well as the fielding for their World Cup campaign.
Sri Lankan players have always been in favor of natural talent – R. Sridhar
R Sridhar said he would focus on building confidence and natural fielding strength without harsh methods. Sridhar emphasized that he will create a positive environment that will encourage athleticism, awareness and pride.
In a statement issued by SLC, Sridhar said, “Sri Lankan players have always stood for innate talent, 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.”
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 flourishes when players feel connected to the ball – R. Sridhar
Sridhar said that strong fielding does not come from practice alone but from awareness. He said that the natural strengths of Sri Lankan players, such as quick reactions and fearless intent, can be further improved by training in match-like situations that bring players closer to real game moments.
Sridhar added, “Fielding thrives when players feel connected to the ball, to each other and to the moment. Sri Lanka’s traditional strengths – quick hands, quick reactions and fearless intent – can be further enhanced by creating a realistic, game-like learning environment.”
Sri Lanka has been placed in Group B for the T20 World Cup, where they will face Australia, Ireland, Oman and Zimbabwe. He met R. on 8th February. They will begin their campaign in Colombo with the opening match against Ireland at the Premadasa Stadium.
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