Legend Jayawardena to join the Lankans as a consultant for the first round of T20 WC 2021

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced in a statement that the legendary Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene is appointed as the consultant of the Sri Lanka national cricket team in the first round of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Sri Lanka will play three matches in the first round of the World Cup starting October 17 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. Jayawardene will be with the team in these three games.

He has signed not only the national team but also the Sri Lanka Under-19 team. The former captain will also serve as a consultant and mentor for the Sri Lankan youth as the preparation for next year’s ICC Under-19 World Cup which will take place in the West Indies.

Jayawardene said goodbye to international cricket a long time ago. Now he is coaching in various franchise leagues. Since 2017, he has been the head coach of Mumbai Indians. Under him, Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians have won 2017, 2019, and 2020 IPL titles. After the end of the IPL 2021 on October 15, he will move from the IPL’s bio-bubble zone to Sri Lanka’s bio-bubble zone.

The opening match of the T20 World Cup 2021 is on 17 October, Sri Lanka’s first match is on October 18 against Namibia. Ireland and the Netherlands are going to be the other two opponents of Sri Lanka in Group A of the first round. Jayawardene will share his vast experience with the players and management team, as well as providing crucial strategic support for these three matches.

And he will join the Under-19 team for five months. The SLC has described this role of consultant and mentorship as an “honorary capacity”.

Mahela Jayawardene has scored 11,814 runs in 149 Test matches in his cricket career. He has scored 12,650 runs in 448 ODIs. Besides, he has scored 1493 runs playing 55 T20I matches. Under his leadership, the Sri Lanka cricket team reached the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2012.

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