Galle Gladiators will meet Dambulla Giants, while Colombo Stars will clash with Jaffna Kings in their Lanka Premier League (LPL) matches today at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
The Galle team led by Bhanuka Rajapaksa started with a 54-run win over defending champions Jaffna Kings and are already at the top of the points table with the highest run rate. They have a strong spin department to make a good challenge. Two experienced players, England’s Samit Patel (leg spinner) and Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez (off-spinner), together with Afghan wrist spinner 16-year-old Noor Ahamad, are leading their spin department. Young bowling all-rounder Dhananjaya Lakshan always strengthens their side. Opener Dhanuska Gunathilleka, Kusal Mednis, Skipper Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and Patel are leading their batting department.
Meanwhile, Dambulla Giants led by Dasun Shanaka have the services of opener Phil Salt, who already has two half-centuries, while all-rounders Chamika Karunaratne and Ramesh Mendis strengthen their side. Experienced paceman Nuwan Pradeep and leg spinner Imran Thahir have taken many wickets as well.
Jaffna Kings Skipper Thisara Perera and Opener Avishka Fernando gave a superb batting display with brisk half centuries in their last game against Kandy Warriors. Shoaib Malik and Chaturanga de Silva are useful middle-order batters of the side. Two key spinners Waninidu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana are leading their bowling department, and pacemen Suranga Lakmal and Jayden Seales are also among the wicket-takers.
Colombo Stars led by Dhananjaya de Silva, in the absence of Angelo Mathews, have the services of batsmen Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Janith Perera, while Dushmantha Chameera and Naveen Ul-Haq are the leading pacemen. They beat Galle Gladiators in their first game, but lost to Dambulla Giants after a good fight. Today, they will face Jaffna Kings.
Dambulla Giants opener Phil Salt has the highest runs (137) in three matches, while Jaffna Kings Jayden Seales and Colombo Stars Nuwan Pradeep are the top bowlers, with seven wickets each.
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