wd
1
4
W
0
1
4
= 11
Match Details
CK vs JK, 7th T20, LPL 2026 summary
CK
174-9(20.0)
Jaffna Kings won by 5 runs 🏆
JK
(20.0)179-6
Match info
Summary
Scorecard
Discussions
Points Table
+
P'ship : 27(11)
Commentary
All
Highlights
Overs
W
6s
4s
Inn 1
Inn 2
Milestone
As the celebrations begin, the Jaffna Kings walk away with a hard-earned five-run victory, built on teamwork, timely wickets and nerves of steel. Colombo Kaps showed tremendous fight through their captain and a spirited late push, but the early collapse proved too costly to recover from. It was a match filled with momentum swings, pressure moments, brilliant spells and fearless batting - the perfect recipe for an entertaining T20 contest.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Deepak Prakash, and scorer Raju Khariya. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But there is one more match scheduled in today's LPL doubleheader. So, switch tabs and follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Deepak Prakash, and scorer Raju Khariya. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But there is one more match scheduled in today's LPL doubleheader. So, switch tabs and follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!
Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Jaffna Kings Captain): "[Are you happy with where your team is at? The position your team is in?] Yeah, of course, we're happy because we're in a good place. Once you start winning, it becomes a habit. Hopefully, we've got a couple more games to play in Dambulla, and we can carry this momentum forward.
[Is there anything you're still concerned about?] The fielding standards can always improve. At the same time, batting-wise, I think we got off to a slightly slow start today. But we know we've got two world-class openers. Hopefully, on a new pitch as well, we had to assess the conditions. Going forward, after seeing what happened today, we'll do much better."
[Is there anything you're still concerned about?] The fielding standards can always improve. At the same time, batting-wise, I think we got off to a slightly slow start today. But we know we've got two world-class openers. Hopefully, on a new pitch as well, we had to assess the conditions. Going forward, after seeing what happened today, we'll do much better."
Player of the Match: Chamindu Wickramasinghe
It's time for the post-match presentation......
Lizaad Williams is the leading wicket-taker of LPL 2026 and has received the purple cap from the tournament director.
6:43 PM IST, LOCAL TIME: Cricket often reminds us that a good start means nothing unless you finish even better. Jaffna Kings did exactly that in Dambulla. They built a solid platform through their openers, recovered whenever wickets fell, and defended 179 with remarkable composure to beat Colombo Kaps by 5 runs in a thrilling finish. Colombo looked out of the contest early, only for captain Kamindu Mendis to breathe life back into the chase before the Kings held their nerve in the closing overs. Was it comfortable? Not at all. Was it deserving? Absolutely. Jaffna found answers every time Colombo asked a question.
Let's rewind a bit....
The Kings could not have scripted a better Powerplay. Asked to bat first, Avishka Fernando and Kamil Mishara looked calm, confident and completely in control. They negotiated the new ball without losing a wicket and finished the first six overs at 44/0, keeping the scoreboard ticking with sensible cricket rather than reckless hitting. A diving chance offered by Mishara in the fifth over went down when Kamindu Mendis failed to hold on at mid-on, and Jaffna happily accepted the lifeline. The opening stand reached 50 in 7.1 overs, laying exactly the kind of platform every batting side dreams about in a T20.
Could Colombo fight back? They certainly did. Wanuja Sahan finally broke the opening stand by trapping Kamil Mishara (39) lbw at 65, ending the impressive 65-run opening partnership. Milan Rathnayake then bowled Avishka Fernando (34), ensuring both set batters departed before converting their starts into something bigger. But Jaffna refused to slow down. Chamindu Wickramasinghe arrived with attacking intent and found a perfect partner in Ibrahim Zadran (19). Together they added 43 runs for the third wicket, helping the Kings bring up 100 in exactly 12 overs and keeping the scoring rate close to nine an over.
The match then swung once more during the Power Blast. Could Colombo seize control? Yes, for a while. Mujeeb Ur Rahman struck on the very first ball of the phase, dismissing Ibrahim Zadran before removing captain Bhanuka Rajapaksa for a duck just two deliveries later. The Kings managed only 15 runs in the two Power Blast overs, slipping to 127/4 after 15.3 overs. Just when the innings threatened to lose momentum, Dunith Wellalage played a brisk 19 off 13, while Chamindu continued his assault. Jaffna crossed 150 in 17.5 overs, but Shahnawaz Dahani struck twice in the penultimate over to remove both Chamindu (43) and Wellalage. A late unbeaten 10 off 5 from Shakib Al Hasan ensured the Kings finished on a competitive 179/6. Dahani and Mujeeb shared four wickets, but Jaffna had still posted a challenging total.
Now... The Chase!
Chasing 180, Colombo's reply began in complete chaos. Did anything go right early? Very little. Traveen Mathew bowled Rubin Hermann before Dilshan Madushanka overturned an lbw decision through DRS to remove Thanuka Dabare. Lizaad Williams then trapped Sadeera Samarawickrama lbw after another unsuccessful review. From 7/0 to 30/3, Colombo were immediately under pressure. They limped to 37/3 after the Powerplay, already falling well behind the asking rate as Jaffna's bowlers tightened the screws.
The only reason Colombo stayed alive was their captain. Kamindu Mendis stood tall when almost everyone else struggled. After Shakib Al Hasan dismissed Ben McDermott (5) at 52/4, Kamindu found valuable support from Sharujan Shanmuganathan. Their 48-run partnership gave the chase fresh hope as they added 46 runs in five overs, taking the score to 98/4 at the strategic timeout after 13 overs. Kamindu reached a fighting fifty from just 34 balls, while Colombo crossed 100 in 13.1 overs. The equation was still demanding - 82 needed from 42 balls, but for the first time, Jaffna felt genuine pressure.
Could Colombo complete the escape? The Kings had other ideas. Traveen Mathew returned immediately after the timeout to dismiss the dangerous Kamindu for 58, breaking the match-defining partnership. Dunith Wellalage then removed Sharujan (26) before Lizaad Williams struck twice to send back Movin Subasingha and Milan Rathnayake. Even though Colombo collected 24 runs during the Power Blast and Wanuja Sahan launched a sensational unbeaten 35 off just 15 balls, wickets kept interrupting the charge. Madushanka bowled Hasan Mahmud, leaving Colombo nine down with still plenty required. Sahan fought until the final ball, but the target remained just out of reach as the Kaps finished on 174/9.
What decided this contest? Early wickets. Every time Colombo built even a hint of momentum, Jaffna found the breakthrough. Kamindu's brilliance almost overturned the script, but he simply ran out of partners. On the other side, Jaffna never had one massive partnership after the openers, yet every contribution mattered. Avishka's 34, Mishara's 39, Chamindu's explosive 43, and the late cameos from Wellalage and Shakib ensured the Kings squeezed every possible run from their innings. Sometimes, T20 cricket isn't about one big score. It's about everyone adding a little.
The bowling unit deserves equal praise. Lizaad Williams (3 wickets) led the attack brilliantly, while Traveen Mathew picked up two crucial wickets, including Kamindu's priceless scalp. Madushanka, Shakib Al Hasan, and Wellalage chipped in with one wicket each, ensuring there was never any breathing space for the chasing side. For Colombo, Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/33) and Shahnawaz Dahani (2/25) had earlier done well to restrict Jaffna below the 180-mark, but the batting unit simply left themselves with too much to do after the disastrous start.
Let's rewind a bit....
The Kings could not have scripted a better Powerplay. Asked to bat first, Avishka Fernando and Kamil Mishara looked calm, confident and completely in control. They negotiated the new ball without losing a wicket and finished the first six overs at 44/0, keeping the scoreboard ticking with sensible cricket rather than reckless hitting. A diving chance offered by Mishara in the fifth over went down when Kamindu Mendis failed to hold on at mid-on, and Jaffna happily accepted the lifeline. The opening stand reached 50 in 7.1 overs, laying exactly the kind of platform every batting side dreams about in a T20.
Could Colombo fight back? They certainly did. Wanuja Sahan finally broke the opening stand by trapping Kamil Mishara (39) lbw at 65, ending the impressive 65-run opening partnership. Milan Rathnayake then bowled Avishka Fernando (34), ensuring both set batters departed before converting their starts into something bigger. But Jaffna refused to slow down. Chamindu Wickramasinghe arrived with attacking intent and found a perfect partner in Ibrahim Zadran (19). Together they added 43 runs for the third wicket, helping the Kings bring up 100 in exactly 12 overs and keeping the scoring rate close to nine an over.
The match then swung once more during the Power Blast. Could Colombo seize control? Yes, for a while. Mujeeb Ur Rahman struck on the very first ball of the phase, dismissing Ibrahim Zadran before removing captain Bhanuka Rajapaksa for a duck just two deliveries later. The Kings managed only 15 runs in the two Power Blast overs, slipping to 127/4 after 15.3 overs. Just when the innings threatened to lose momentum, Dunith Wellalage played a brisk 19 off 13, while Chamindu continued his assault. Jaffna crossed 150 in 17.5 overs, but Shahnawaz Dahani struck twice in the penultimate over to remove both Chamindu (43) and Wellalage. A late unbeaten 10 off 5 from Shakib Al Hasan ensured the Kings finished on a competitive 179/6. Dahani and Mujeeb shared four wickets, but Jaffna had still posted a challenging total.
Now... The Chase!
Chasing 180, Colombo's reply began in complete chaos. Did anything go right early? Very little. Traveen Mathew bowled Rubin Hermann before Dilshan Madushanka overturned an lbw decision through DRS to remove Thanuka Dabare. Lizaad Williams then trapped Sadeera Samarawickrama lbw after another unsuccessful review. From 7/0 to 30/3, Colombo were immediately under pressure. They limped to 37/3 after the Powerplay, already falling well behind the asking rate as Jaffna's bowlers tightened the screws.
The only reason Colombo stayed alive was their captain. Kamindu Mendis stood tall when almost everyone else struggled. After Shakib Al Hasan dismissed Ben McDermott (5) at 52/4, Kamindu found valuable support from Sharujan Shanmuganathan. Their 48-run partnership gave the chase fresh hope as they added 46 runs in five overs, taking the score to 98/4 at the strategic timeout after 13 overs. Kamindu reached a fighting fifty from just 34 balls, while Colombo crossed 100 in 13.1 overs. The equation was still demanding - 82 needed from 42 balls, but for the first time, Jaffna felt genuine pressure.
Could Colombo complete the escape? The Kings had other ideas. Traveen Mathew returned immediately after the timeout to dismiss the dangerous Kamindu for 58, breaking the match-defining partnership. Dunith Wellalage then removed Sharujan (26) before Lizaad Williams struck twice to send back Movin Subasingha and Milan Rathnayake. Even though Colombo collected 24 runs during the Power Blast and Wanuja Sahan launched a sensational unbeaten 35 off just 15 balls, wickets kept interrupting the charge. Madushanka bowled Hasan Mahmud, leaving Colombo nine down with still plenty required. Sahan fought until the final ball, but the target remained just out of reach as the Kaps finished on 174/9.
What decided this contest? Early wickets. Every time Colombo built even a hint of momentum, Jaffna found the breakthrough. Kamindu's brilliance almost overturned the script, but he simply ran out of partners. On the other side, Jaffna never had one massive partnership after the openers, yet every contribution mattered. Avishka's 34, Mishara's 39, Chamindu's explosive 43, and the late cameos from Wellalage and Shakib ensured the Kings squeezed every possible run from their innings. Sometimes, T20 cricket isn't about one big score. It's about everyone adding a little.
The bowling unit deserves equal praise. Lizaad Williams (3 wickets) led the attack brilliantly, while Traveen Mathew picked up two crucial wickets, including Kamindu's priceless scalp. Madushanka, Shakib Al Hasan, and Wellalage chipped in with one wicket each, ensuring there was never any breathing space for the chasing side. For Colombo, Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/33) and Shahnawaz Dahani (2/25) had earlier done well to restrict Jaffna below the 180-mark, but the batting unit simply left themselves with too much to do after the disastrous start.
OVER 20
Colombo Kaps
174/9
Wanuja Sahan
35(15)
Shahnawaz Dahani
2(3)
Zahoor Khan
0-39(3.0)
19.6 Zahoor Khan to Wanuja Sahan
6 SIX RUNS! Wanuja Sahan ends the contest with a biggie, but his side ends up losing this game by a slender margin of 5 runs. A low full toss outside the off-stump. Sahan stays deep and hammers it over long-off for a maximum. Jaffna Kings win this match by 5 runs.
19.5 Zahoor Khan to Wanuja Sahan
4 FOUR MORE! Hammered down the ground, but it's too late for the Kaps! Full-length delivery on the middle stump line. Sahan goes deep inside the crease and whacks it over the bowler's head for a boundary.
Commentary