During his time with India, Kirsten guided the team to a historic victory at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2011. With South Africa, he helped the team achieve the No. 1 ranking across all three formats in 2013. Most recently, he served as a consultant for Cricket Namibia during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, supporting the team’s preparations throughout the tournament.
As a player, Kirsten had a distinguished international career for South Africa from 1993 to 2004. He scored 14,087 runs across Tests and One-Day Internationals, including 21 Test centuries and 13 ODI centuries, establishing himself as one of the country’s most reliable opening batters.
Kirsten has signed a two-year contract with Sri Lanka Cricket, running until April 14, 2028. A key priority for him will be preparing the national side for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
Kirsten replaces former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya, who stepped down after a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign. Jayasuriya had taken over the coaching role after the 2024 T20 World Cup and enjoyed early success, including a historic bilateral ODI series win against India in August 2024 — Sri Lanka’s first in 27 years — and memorable Test victories, including a 2-0 series win over New Zealand at home.
However, the latter part of his tenure was challenging. Sri Lanka suffered four consecutive defeats in the home T20 World Cup 2026, exiting the tournament early, while underwhelming performances in the 2025 Asia Cup and a T20I tri-series in Pakistan added to the pressure.
