When Sanath Jayasuriya walked into his first media briefing as Head Coach, he didn’t waste time playing it safe. He went straight to the point — fielding was going to be a game-changer. And true to his word, what the team has pulled off over the last 12 months is nothing short of a stunning comeback.

Here was a side that had just been bundled out of the ICC Cricket World Cup with a wooden spoon finish — ninth place — and failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy. But under Jayasuriya’s stewardship, Sri Lanka has punched above its weight, defeating the top two ranked teams in the world — Australia and India. And in this remarkable turnaround, fielding has been the unsung hero, the silent game-winner.

Doubling down on the importance of fielding, the team management roped in India’s former fielding guru R. Sridhar for a ten-day high-intensity camp. A coach who comes with a glowing reputation, Sridhar isn’t just focusing on the big boys — he’s spreading the gospel of fielding to the development squads and the under-19s too. It’s a move that signals intent — Sri Lanka wants to be sharp, not just with the bat and ball, but in the field as well.

These efforts to lift fielding standards deserve a standing ovation. One can only wonder how different things might’ve been if this sort of proactive thinking had been in place two years ago. The writing was on the wall even then — dropped catches, fumbled run-outs, and lazy throws were costing games. But instead of addressing the problem head-on, the management handed the reins to an overhyped foreign coach and, in cricketing terms, ended up hitting their own wickets.

Since Jayasuriya took over, he’s turned the tide. He brought in Upul Chandana — Sri Lanka’s very own livewire in the field — from within the SLC coaching system. Chandana, with his unconventional drills and energetic approach, has injected fresh blood and urgency into the unit. The players now seem to have caught the fielding bug.

That’s how it should be. While someone like Chandana remains as a permanent fixture, brief stints from specialists like Sridhar allow new ideas to bounce around the dressing room.

Earlier, even Jonty Rhodes, arguably the Michael Jordan of fielding, spent a few days in Colombo. He quickly identified the blind spots and sharpened Sri Lanka’s fielding toolkit.

That said, no matter how many big-ticket coaches you bring in, no fielding revolution can succeed unless the players themselves buy in. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it dive full-length in the covers.

And for too long, that buy-in was missing. Thankfully, the tide seems to be turning — especially with the next-gen stars who appear hungrier, more agile, and aware that in modern cricket, fielding can win you matches.

Look no further than T.M. Dilshan. Initially groomed as a wicketkeeper, his path was blocked by a certain Kumar Sangakkara — who, let’s face it, wasn’t giving up the gloves anytime soon. So Dilshan pivoted. He transformed himself into a brilliant outfielder, arguably the best in the side. His work ethic was legendary.

After every net session, he’d drag Fielding Coach Trevor Penney to the boundary and aim for ten direct hits a day. In the early days, it took him hours to meet that mark. But with persistence and practice, he was hitting the target in just 15 minutes. That’s the stuff champions are made of — grit, grind, and getting your whites dirty.

What Sri Lanka needs now are more players with that Dilshan mindset — willing to do the hard yards, chase leather like it’s gold, and throw themselves around like they’re defending their mother’s dowry.

With Jayasuriya calling the shots, Chandana in the dugout, and experts like Sridhar chipping in, Sri Lanka’s fielding fortunes are finally turning a corner. It’s early days, but if this momentum continues, the Lions might just roar again — not just with the bat and ball, but in every blade of grass they defend.

by Rex Clementine