Suryakumar amazed by Sanath Jayasuriya’s fitness at 57
Suryakumar Yadav crossed paths with Sanath Jayasuriya at a Colombo event and could not hide his admiration for the 57-year-old’s physical shape. The two embraced warmly and fell into a playful exchange that was captured on video and later shared on Instagram.
The clip showed Suryakumar directing a good-natured question at the former Sri Lanka head coach, asking whether the latter was preparing to return to competitive cricket.
“Getting fitter, trying to make a comeback?” the Mumbai Indians batter asked, drawing smiles from those around them.
Jayasuriya’s coaching tenure and exit
Suryakumar’s presence in Colombo at that point was tied to his role as Brand Ambassador of the inaugural JITO Premier League (JPL), a community cricket league running in the Sri Lankan capital from August 24 to September 5, 2026. The tournament brought him to Colombo at the same time India and Sri Lanka were contesting their second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC), a match that got under way on August 23, 2026, with Shubman Gill leading the Indian side.
Meanwhile, Jayasuriya had departed the head coach’s role after Sri Lanka’s five-run defeat to Pakistan in the Super Eights at the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, a result that confirmed their exit from semi-final contention. He had also indicated during the England series earlier in 2026 that he did not plan to remain in the position long-term.
His coaching journey with Sri Lanka began in July 2024 when he stepped in as interim head coach following Chris Silverwood’s exit, before being confirmed in the full-time role in October 2024. The tenure delivered meaningful results: Sri Lanka claimed their first ODI bilateral series win over India in 27 years and recorded their first Test victory in England in a decade.
Suryakumar’s Colombo connection
Suryakumar had been the Indian captain from 2024 to 2026. He captained India in T20Is through a period that included the 2025 Asia Cup and the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup triumph. His last T20I appearance on record was on March 8, against New Zealand, which was the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad.
He is a part of the Mumbai Indians side but some reports have suggested that the right-handed batter could be representing a new franchise ahead of IPL 2027.
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