6
0
1
W
0
0
= 7
Match Details
GG vs JK, Qualifier 1 T20, LPL 2026 summary
GG
228-8(20.0)
Jaffna Kings won by 14 runs 🏆
JK
(20.0)242-2
+
P'ship : 38(14)
Commentary
All
Highlights
Overs
W
6s
4s
Inn 1
Inn 2
Milestone
Time for us to conclude our coverage from the qualifier 1 of the Lanka Premier League 2026. Jaffna Kings have booked a berth in the summit clash, scheduled on Saturday with a victory over the Galle Gallants by 14 runs. Galle Gallants will get another chance and will comeback again on Friday to play the qualifier 2.
Up next, we have the eliminator lined up between Colombo Kaps and Kandy Royals. The toss will happen in less than 10 minutes. Do join us for that. Until then, this is Saptak Sanyal signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Ninaad Dixit and the scorer/analyst Yogesh Kumar.
Up next, we have the eliminator lined up between Colombo Kaps and Kandy Royals. The toss will happen in less than 10 minutes. Do join us for that. Until then, this is Saptak Sanyal signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Ninaad Dixit and the scorer/analyst Yogesh Kumar.
Highest Match Aggregate in LPL:
470 runs – Galle Gallants vs Jaffna Kings, Colombo (RPS), 2026, Today*
454 runs – Kandy Falcons vs Jaffna Kings, Dambulla, 2024
438 runs – Jaffna Kings vs Kandy Tuskers, Hambantota, 2020
470 runs – Galle Gallants vs Jaffna Kings, Colombo (RPS), 2026, Today*
454 runs – Kandy Falcons vs Jaffna Kings, Dambulla, 2024
438 runs – Jaffna Kings vs Kandy Tuskers, Hambantota, 2020
Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Jaffna Kings Captain): [on the win] "It's always nice to get off the playoffs and come to the finals straightaway. When you go and play the eliminator there is some sort of pressure. Credit to the batters, they provided a brilliant start. In the field also, how the bowlers coped with the pressure. Credit should go to the whole team."
Player of the Match: Kamil Mishara
6:30 PM IST and Local Time: We have seen a total of 470 runs being scored in this highly competitive first qualifier but it is Jaffna Kings who have won this game by a margin of 14 runs and have marched on to the summit clash, scheduled on Saturday. Kamil Mishara's maiden T20 ton, Towhid Hridoy's 20-ball fifty and Jaffna Kings posting 242, the highest total in LPL history are the few remarkable moments of this game. Galle Gallants put up a brilliant fight but they fell short and will have to play the second qualifier on Friday.
Kamil Mishara and Avishka Fernando opened the batting for the Kings after they were sent to bat first. Avishka hit 2 fours and a maximum on his way to score 19 but Akif Javed dismissed him. That brought Kamil Mishara and Khawaja Nafay together in the crease and they never looked back. They batted 66 balls together and posted 138 runs in their partnership. Nafay hit the pacers for fun while Mishara swept and reverse swept the spinners at ease. Mishara got to his fifty in 31 balls and Nafay took one ball less than his partner to get to the milestone. Nafay however, became the victim of a run-out as Sam Harper's direct hit caught him short of the crease but his 54 off 32 remained very impactful.
Mishara at the other end, switched the gears after reaching his fifty and was dealing in boundaries. He took 18 balls to convert his half century to a three figure mark but when Towhid Hridoy joined the crease, he became a spectator. Hridoy hit a couple of maximums off Eshan Malinga in the penultimate over and hit Dasun Shanaka for two sixes and as many fours in the final over to remain unbeaten on 54 off 21 hitting 3 fours and 5 maximums. Jaffna Kings posted 242/2 in their 20 overs. Kamil Mishara remained unbeaten on 108 off 55 balls, hitting 10 fours and 7 sixes and his knock proved to be decisive.
Among the Galle Gallants' bowlers, only Akif Javed (1/46) got a wicket. Except Tharindu Ratnayake (0/31 in 4 overs), every single bowler was expensive.
Galle Gallants came out in pursuit of a gargantuan target of 243 and lost Thomas Rogers early in the first over. But Charith Asalanka and Sam Harper did not hold back. They went hammer and tongs at every single bowler and scored 75 runs from 29 balls. Shiraz conceded 16 in his second over, Dilshan Madushanka gave 22 away in his first over and Shakib Al Hasan went for 17 in his first over. Gallants were flying high in the powerplay but Lizaad Williams brought the momentum to a halt. He knocked over Asalanka (27) and in his second over, Sam Harper mistimed a pull off his delivery to find mid-on. Harper showed promise but he perished scoring 44 off 21 balls.
Sahan Arachchige perished in the 9th over and the Gallants were reeling at 97/4. Dasun Shanaka joined the impact substitute Chamika Karunaratne and they ran a carnage. Madushanka was again hammered, Wellalage conceded a six and a boundary in the 11th over, Traveen Mathew and Shakib were no exceptions. They added 63 runs in 27 balls and just when they looked ominous, Jaffna skipper Bhanuka Rajapaksa pulled off a stunner. His outstanding leaping catch at point sent Chamika (39) back and a few balls later, Shanaka (34) mistimed a full toss to find the deep extra cover fielder off Mohamed Shiraz. Dinura Kalupahana and Sachindu Colombage added 38 runs to the team total in the last two overs and their late assault took Gallants closer to the target but eventually they ended with 228/8, falling 14 runs short.
Mohamed Shiraz was the star of the show, picking up 3 wickets for 32 runs in his 4 overs. Lizaad Williams conceded 39 in his 4 overs but took important wickets of Charith Asalanka and Sam Harper. Madushanka, Shakib and Wellalage chipped in with a wicket each.
Kamil Mishara and Avishka Fernando opened the batting for the Kings after they were sent to bat first. Avishka hit 2 fours and a maximum on his way to score 19 but Akif Javed dismissed him. That brought Kamil Mishara and Khawaja Nafay together in the crease and they never looked back. They batted 66 balls together and posted 138 runs in their partnership. Nafay hit the pacers for fun while Mishara swept and reverse swept the spinners at ease. Mishara got to his fifty in 31 balls and Nafay took one ball less than his partner to get to the milestone. Nafay however, became the victim of a run-out as Sam Harper's direct hit caught him short of the crease but his 54 off 32 remained very impactful.
Mishara at the other end, switched the gears after reaching his fifty and was dealing in boundaries. He took 18 balls to convert his half century to a three figure mark but when Towhid Hridoy joined the crease, he became a spectator. Hridoy hit a couple of maximums off Eshan Malinga in the penultimate over and hit Dasun Shanaka for two sixes and as many fours in the final over to remain unbeaten on 54 off 21 hitting 3 fours and 5 maximums. Jaffna Kings posted 242/2 in their 20 overs. Kamil Mishara remained unbeaten on 108 off 55 balls, hitting 10 fours and 7 sixes and his knock proved to be decisive.
Among the Galle Gallants' bowlers, only Akif Javed (1/46) got a wicket. Except Tharindu Ratnayake (0/31 in 4 overs), every single bowler was expensive.
Galle Gallants came out in pursuit of a gargantuan target of 243 and lost Thomas Rogers early in the first over. But Charith Asalanka and Sam Harper did not hold back. They went hammer and tongs at every single bowler and scored 75 runs from 29 balls. Shiraz conceded 16 in his second over, Dilshan Madushanka gave 22 away in his first over and Shakib Al Hasan went for 17 in his first over. Gallants were flying high in the powerplay but Lizaad Williams brought the momentum to a halt. He knocked over Asalanka (27) and in his second over, Sam Harper mistimed a pull off his delivery to find mid-on. Harper showed promise but he perished scoring 44 off 21 balls.
Sahan Arachchige perished in the 9th over and the Gallants were reeling at 97/4. Dasun Shanaka joined the impact substitute Chamika Karunaratne and they ran a carnage. Madushanka was again hammered, Wellalage conceded a six and a boundary in the 11th over, Traveen Mathew and Shakib were no exceptions. They added 63 runs in 27 balls and just when they looked ominous, Jaffna skipper Bhanuka Rajapaksa pulled off a stunner. His outstanding leaping catch at point sent Chamika (39) back and a few balls later, Shanaka (34) mistimed a full toss to find the deep extra cover fielder off Mohamed Shiraz. Dinura Kalupahana and Sachindu Colombage added 38 runs to the team total in the last two overs and their late assault took Gallants closer to the target but eventually they ended with 228/8, falling 14 runs short.
Mohamed Shiraz was the star of the show, picking up 3 wickets for 32 runs in his 4 overs. Lizaad Williams conceded 39 in his 4 overs but took important wickets of Charith Asalanka and Sam Harper. Madushanka, Shakib and Wellalage chipped in with a wicket each.
OVER 20
Galle Gallants
228/8
Sachindu Colombage
27(9)
Dinura Kalupahana
22(15)
Dunith Wellalage
1-45(4.0)
19.6 Dunith Wellalage to Sachindu Colombage
2 105.8 kph. Short and outside the off stump. Swings across and gets a top edge up and over backward point. A couple of runs picked up in the deep. 23 runs coming off the final over, but that's it! A run fest in Colombo ends up in favour of Jaffna Kings, who jump into yet another LPL final!
19.5 Dunith Wellalage to Sachindu Colombage
4 FOUR MORE! Much wider this time. 80.3 kph. Short of a length outside the off stump. Pulls hard without footwork. Plays it in the cow corner and beats long on to his right.
Commentary