Mahela Jayawardene to announce shock retirement?

Sad news for Jayawardene fans. Speculation had been rife that iconic captain of Sri Lanka in the 2011 Cricket World Cup will announce his retirement from sports, at age 49, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 19/10/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being an athlete isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being an athlete just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouMahela

For a little while on Sunday evening, #ThankYouMahela was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“You’ve accomplished everything I ever dreamed of #ThankYouMahela.”
— @DesireePlum, 18 Oct 2026

“I thought Mahela Jayawardene retired about 5 years ago?!?”
— @millythom, 18 Oct 2026

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