Cricket World Mourns After Coach’s Murder Ahead of SL vs IND 1st Test

In the game of cricket, many incidents on the field leave a long-lasting impact on players. The history of cricket has seen the demise of cricketers on the field for several reasons, such as natural death or getting hit by the ball. Recently, similar kind of news came from Sri Lanka, where a Sri Lanka Cricket coach died in Colombo. This heartbreaking news came ahead of the SL vs IND 1st Test, prompting the cricket world to mourn the loss of a coach. Let's find out the details of Sri Lanka Cricket coach death ahead of the SL vs IND 1st Test.

How Did Sri Lanka Cricket Coach Die?

The 62-year-old Sumith Fernando, who used to coach a cricket club in Colombo, lost his life while undergoing treatment in the hospital. Late Sumith Fernando was involved in an incident at Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club on August 8, 2026. As per the reports, the incident began when some players stopped during training to drink water but found that the tap was dry.

This led to an argument between the players and coach Sumit Fernando. Police said Fernando allegedly tried to attack one of the players during the heated exchange. The 17-year-old player then reportedly assaulted the coach. Fernando suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital, where he later died while receiving treatment. Sumith Fernando's funeral took place on August 13, 2026. This incident has been circulating as the Sri Lanka Cricket Coach murder, but the cause of death is still not confirmed by the Police because Fernando had a pre-existing heart condition, and the autopsy report hasn't come out yet.

Who is Sumith Fernando?

Sumith Fernando was a former coach at Prince of Wales’ College in Moratuwa, where he worked with and helped develop several young cricketers. He also coached Sri Lankan batter Kusal Mendis, who went on to become one of the best wicketkeepers in the world and also led the national team in ODIs. In the later part of his career, Fernando worked as a curator at Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club, a well-known club that competes in Sri Lanka’s domestic cricket.