Charith Asalanka and Eshan Malinga power Galle Gallants to victory over Jaffna Kings in LPL 2026

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Galle Gallants (GG) made a perfect start to their Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 campaign with a commanding performance against Jaffna Kings (JK) at the SSC Ground in Colombo on Thursday, July 17. After producing a strong batting display to post a massive total, the Gallants backed it up with an outstanding effort with the ball to secure a comfortable victory in the tournament opener.

Asked to bat first, Galle Gallants piled up an imposing 213/6 in their allotted 20 overs. The foundation of the innings was laid by Charith Asalanka, who played a superb knock of 65 off 38 deliveries, smashing seven fours and three sixes while anchoring the innings through the middle overs.

Sam Harper provided an explosive start with 40 off just 19 balls, while Sahan Arachchige chipped in with a valuable 35 from 24 deliveries to keep the scoreboard ticking. Mohammad Nawaz also made an important contribution with 21 runs before captain Dasun Shanaka produced a breathtaking finish.

The skipper blasted an unbeaten 31 off only nine deliveries, hammering two fours and three sixes to propel Galle Gallants beyond the 200-run mark. For Jaffna Kings, Lizaad Williams and Piyush Chawla claimed two wickets each, while Dunith Wellalage bowled an economical spell, conceding only 10 runs from his three overs.

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Chasing a daunting target of 214, Jaffna Kings started positively but failed to build substantial partnerships as wickets fell at regular intervals. Wellalage fought hard with 40 off 24 balls, while Avishka Fernando added 34 and Kamil Mishara struck a brisk 28 from 14 deliveries. Chamindu Wickramasinghe also entertained with a quickfire 24 off just 10 balls, but none of the batters managed to convert their starts into a match-defining innings.

The Gallants’ bowling attack maintained constant pressure throughout the chase, with Eshan Malinga emerging as the standout performer. The right-arm pacer produced a superb spell of 4/26, dismantling the Kings’ batting lineup at crucial moments. Akif Javed provided excellent support by picking up 2/31, ensuring the required run rate continued to climb. Jaffna Kings were eventually bowled out for 177 in 19.4 overs, handing Galle Gallants a convincing 36-run victory to begin their LPL 2026 campaign in style.

Galle Marvels started their #LPL2026 campaign with a win against Jaffna Kings ✋👏#Cricket #GalleMarvels

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) July 18, 2026

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