Hashan Tillakaratne appointed batting coach of Sri Lanka's senior men's programme

Sri Lanka Cricket has confirmed Hashan Tillakaratne as Batting Coach of the Senior Men's Programme, with the appointment taking effect from August 20, 2026. His contract runs through to December 31, 2027, and he will be based at the National High Performance Center, which serves as the central preparation hub for Sri Lanka's senior men's squad.

Tillakaratne is one of the most decorated former cricketers to emerge from the Sri Lanka system. He was a member of the squad that lifted the 1996 Cricket World Cup, a landmark moment in the country's sporting history. His international career spanned from 1989 to 2003, during which he played 83 Test matches and 200 ODIs and accumulated more than 8,200 runs across both formats as a top-order batter.

Sri Lanka Cricket did not disclose any reason for the timing of this appointment, and no changes to other support staff positions were announced alongside it.

Tillakaratne arrives with direct experience of working inside the Sri Lanka men's setup. He previously held the position of batting coach with the Sri Lanka men's national team, meaning he returns to a programme he already knows well at the senior level.

He also served as head coach of the Sri Lanka women's national team across 2021 and 2022, giving him exposure to different squad environments and formats within the Sri Lanka Cricket structure. That combination of roles across both the men's and women's programmes reflects a coaching career built steadily over several years following his retirement from playing in 2003.

Tillakaratne have been associated with the Bangladesh Women's National Team in a head coaching capacity from 2022 onward.

The confirmed tenure runs from August 20, 2026, to December 31, 2027, covering a significant stretch of Sri Lanka's international schedule across all formats. Tillakaratne will be stationed at the National High Performance Center throughout this period, working directly with the senior men's batting group.

Sri Lanka Cricket's official confirmation on August 20, 2026, set out all terms of the engagement. No successor or interim arrangement was mentioned for any other coaching position, and the board made no further announcements alongside this one.