1
1
4
1
1
0
= 8
Match Details
DS vs JK, 4th T20, LPL 2026 summary
JK
133-5(19.0)
Jaffna Kings won by 5 wickets 🏆
DS
(19.3)130-10
+
P'ship : 40(26)
Commentary
All
Highlights
Overs
W
6s
4s
Inn 1
Inn 2
Milestone
Time for us to conclude our live coverage from the 4th T20 game of the Lanka Premier League 2026. Jaffna Kings captain Bhanuka Rajapaksa held his nerves and played a responsible knock to take his team home against the Dambulla Sixers.
Now, Colombo Kaps and Kandy Royals will lock horns in the evening game of the Sunday double-header. Do join us for that. For now, this is Saptak Sanyal signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Dev Rajawat and the scorer/analyst of this game Yogesh Kumar.
Now, Colombo Kaps and Kandy Royals will lock horns in the evening game of the Sunday double-header. Do join us for that. For now, this is Saptak Sanyal signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Dev Rajawat and the scorer/analyst of this game Yogesh Kumar.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Player of the Match and Jaffna Kings Captain): (On his match-winning innings) "Thanks a lot. It wasn't easy to bat because the pitch was playing a bit two-paced at one stage. Credit should also go to our bowlers for the way they started the innings today. Their lines and lengths were excellent. After the previous game, we had a clear plan to keep things tight with the ball, and once we got into bat, my responsibility was to bat through the innings.
(On pacing his innings) I was just playing naturally. We knew their off-spinners would bowl a lot, and whenever the ball was in my strength areas, I wanted to capitalize. I didn't want to complicate my innings - I just kept things simple and focused on finishing the game.
(On whether bowling first was still the right decision) It's quite debatable. To be fair, the wickets at the SSC are usually much better than this. We didn't expect this much turn, and normally they're higher-scoring surfaces. Hopefully, the wickets in Dambulla and Kandy, and even for the night games, will play much better."
(On pacing his innings) I was just playing naturally. We knew their off-spinners would bowl a lot, and whenever the ball was in my strength areas, I wanted to capitalize. I didn't want to complicate my innings - I just kept things simple and focused on finishing the game.
(On whether bowling first was still the right decision) It's quite debatable. To be fair, the wickets at the SSC are usually much better than this. We didn't expect this much turn, and normally they're higher-scoring surfaces. Hopefully, the wickets in Dambulla and Kandy, and even for the night games, will play much better."
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: BHANUKA RAJAPAKSA
Time for the Post-Match Presentations...
6:41 PM IST and Local Time: Jaffna Kings have got a comfortable victory over the Dambulla Sixers. Jaffna skipper Bhanuka Rajapaksa stood tall, took the responsibility and propelled the team home with his unbeaten 61. It was a contest between the batters and the spinners and Rajapaksa's innings proved to be a decisive one.
JK won the toss and elected to bowl first. Shot making was not easy at all and the Dambulla openers had difficulty to get a go. Sahibzada Farhan and Dinesh Chandimal added 27 runs in 28 balls before Farhan holed out trying to force a big heave. Chandimal (17 off 18) fell just four balls later and the Sixers were reduced to 33/2 in the powerplay.
Reeza Hendricks and Niroshan Dickwella switched the gears and added 36 in 4 overs. They took on Piyush Chawla in their partnership and the Indian leggie conceded 21 in his 2 overs. But Traveen Mathew knocked Dickwella (23) over and Shakib Al Hasan dismissed Reeza (18 off 15). In the 14th over, a rain break halted the game and the scoreboard saw the Sixers to struggle at 82/6.
Pavan Rathnayake showed some aggression after the break and he scored 27 runs off 16 balls, becoming the highest run getter of the Sixers' innings. He hit four boundaries off Wellalage's final over and the latter ended with 1/31 in his 4 overs. But he fell and the onus was on Dushmantha Chameera, who played a valiant cameo of 18 runs off 11 balls to take the score to 130 before the DAS got bundled out.
Traveen Mathew and Lizaad Williams shone for the Jaffna Kings. They both picked up three wickets. Shakib finished with 2/12. Dilshan Madushanka picked up a wicket.
Chasing the 131-run target was not easy for the Jaffna Kings. Avishka Fernando and Kamil Mishara got a few boundaries early in the innings. But a spectacular catch from Niroshan Dickwella sent Kamil (9) back. Avishka mistimed an on drive off the young spinner Vishwa Lahiru and fell for 15. Chamindu Wickramasinghe was promoted ahead of Bhanuka and he failed to impress. The Kings were down to 35/3 in the 7th over. Ibrahim Zadran was struggling and they were in a precarious position.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa joined Ibrahim in the crease but added only 21 in the first 21 balls of their partnership. At the halfway stage, the Kings were 56/3 and the asking rate was 7.5 in the next 10 overs. It rose to 8 after the 11th over. Jaffna needed a game changing over and Ramesh Mendis came to bowl the 12th over. Ibrahim Zadran greeted him with a six first ball and went off strike next ball. Bhanuka hit two more sixes and a boundary later to take 23 from it. The asking rate was close to 6 again.
Dushmantha Chameera came back and removed Ibrahim (21) in the next over. David Wiese struggled on his way to score 7 off 9 balls but Bhanuka didn't do anything risky. He hit Akila Dananjaya for a maximum in the 16th over and his partner Dunith Wellalage went after Chameera in the 17th over and the Kings needed 19 from the final 3 overs. It came down to 11 off final two overs. Gulbadin Naib came back to bowl the penultimate over and Bhanuka hit a maximum and a boundary to seal the deal. Bhanuka remained unbeaten on 61 off 37 balls and made the difference. Jaffna Kings went home with an over remaining.
Maheesh Theekshana was the stand out bowler. He conceded just 11 from his 4 overs taking one wicket. Dushmantha Chameera picked up 2 wickets for 29 runs. Vishwa Lahiru picked up a wicket.
JK won the toss and elected to bowl first. Shot making was not easy at all and the Dambulla openers had difficulty to get a go. Sahibzada Farhan and Dinesh Chandimal added 27 runs in 28 balls before Farhan holed out trying to force a big heave. Chandimal (17 off 18) fell just four balls later and the Sixers were reduced to 33/2 in the powerplay.
Reeza Hendricks and Niroshan Dickwella switched the gears and added 36 in 4 overs. They took on Piyush Chawla in their partnership and the Indian leggie conceded 21 in his 2 overs. But Traveen Mathew knocked Dickwella (23) over and Shakib Al Hasan dismissed Reeza (18 off 15). In the 14th over, a rain break halted the game and the scoreboard saw the Sixers to struggle at 82/6.
Pavan Rathnayake showed some aggression after the break and he scored 27 runs off 16 balls, becoming the highest run getter of the Sixers' innings. He hit four boundaries off Wellalage's final over and the latter ended with 1/31 in his 4 overs. But he fell and the onus was on Dushmantha Chameera, who played a valiant cameo of 18 runs off 11 balls to take the score to 130 before the DAS got bundled out.
Traveen Mathew and Lizaad Williams shone for the Jaffna Kings. They both picked up three wickets. Shakib finished with 2/12. Dilshan Madushanka picked up a wicket.
Chasing the 131-run target was not easy for the Jaffna Kings. Avishka Fernando and Kamil Mishara got a few boundaries early in the innings. But a spectacular catch from Niroshan Dickwella sent Kamil (9) back. Avishka mistimed an on drive off the young spinner Vishwa Lahiru and fell for 15. Chamindu Wickramasinghe was promoted ahead of Bhanuka and he failed to impress. The Kings were down to 35/3 in the 7th over. Ibrahim Zadran was struggling and they were in a precarious position.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa joined Ibrahim in the crease but added only 21 in the first 21 balls of their partnership. At the halfway stage, the Kings were 56/3 and the asking rate was 7.5 in the next 10 overs. It rose to 8 after the 11th over. Jaffna needed a game changing over and Ramesh Mendis came to bowl the 12th over. Ibrahim Zadran greeted him with a six first ball and went off strike next ball. Bhanuka hit two more sixes and a boundary later to take 23 from it. The asking rate was close to 6 again.
Dushmantha Chameera came back and removed Ibrahim (21) in the next over. David Wiese struggled on his way to score 7 off 9 balls but Bhanuka didn't do anything risky. He hit Akila Dananjaya for a maximum in the 16th over and his partner Dunith Wellalage went after Chameera in the 17th over and the Kings needed 19 from the final 3 overs. It came down to 11 off final two overs. Gulbadin Naib came back to bowl the penultimate over and Bhanuka hit a maximum and a boundary to seal the deal. Bhanuka remained unbeaten on 61 off 37 balls and made the difference. Jaffna Kings went home with an over remaining.
Maheesh Theekshana was the stand out bowler. He conceded just 11 from his 4 overs taking one wicket. Dushmantha Chameera picked up 2 wickets for 29 runs. Vishwa Lahiru picked up a wicket.
OVER 19
Jaffna Kings
133/5
Bhanuka Rajapaksa
61(37)
Dunith Wellalage
11(13)
Gulbadin Naib
0-18(2.0)
18.6 Gulbadin Naib to Bhanuka Rajapaksa
4 FOUR!!! WHIPPED AWAY!! DONE AND DUSTED!! Sliding in, full, and around leg. Bhanuka walks across and rolls his wrists. Whips it to the right of short fine leg and seals the deal. Jaffna Kings have defeated Dambulla Sixers by 5 wickets with six balls still left to be played. Bhanuka batted really well there and took his team over the line.
18.5 Gulbadin Naib to Bhanuka Rajapaksa
0 123.5 kmph. A yorker, wide outside off, squeezed it to backward point. Wellalage wanted a single but was sent back.
Commentary