SI Cricket Talks
Lanka Premier League
Conclusion: Lanka Premier League 2023
24 matches including super overs, 589 fours, and 222 sixes later B-Love Kandy are the winners of the Lanka Premier League 2023! A huge congratulations to them! That said, shall we now take a deeper look at how each team faired in the fourth edition of the Lanka Premier League? We shall!
To begin with, let’s take a look at the champions, B-Love Kandy! Kandy didn’t start the tournament well as they lost their first two (2) matches but they bounced back well to win their next four (4) matches which sealed their playoff spot despite them losing their last two (2) matches. As a result, Kandy entered the playoff under pressure as they had to play the eliminator and they turned up under pressure to not just win the eliminator and knockout three-time champions Jaffna Kings but they went on to beat the Galle Titans in the second qualifier and to win the finals by defeating the Dambulla Aura ending their campaign by winning three (3) matches on the trot and the title.
Best player for B-Love Kandy:
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Wanindu Hasaranga! Hasaranga was a standout player for Kandy and a fantastic captain as he led from the front and finished the tournament as the highest runscorer with 279 runs and as the highest wicket-taker with 19 wickets which rightfully earned him the player of the tournament award!
Let us now move on to the runner-ups, Dambulla Aura, the Aura finished the group stage as table toppers as they won six (6) out of their eight (8) matches. Therefore, Dambulla entered the playoffs with high confidence and it showed as they won the first qualifier against the Galle Titans sealing their spot in the finals. However, come the finals, Dambulla lost their Aura as they went to lose the finals. Nevertheless, the Dambulla Aura played high-quality cricket throughout the tournament.
Best player for Dambulla Aura:
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Noor Ahmad! The Afgan spinner played a pivotal role in Dambulla’s campaign as he tormented teams in the middle overs with his variations and mystery as went on to pick up 12 wickets and finished the tournament as the third-highest wicket-taker.
Next up the Titans of the LPL in the Galle Titans unfortunately had mixed bag performance throughout the tournament as they won four (4) and lost (4) of their eight (8) group stage matches but still finished second on the table. That said, the incredibly powerful team of the Galle Titans couldn’t find their mojo under pressure as they lost both qualifier one to the Dambulla Aura and the eliminator to B-Love Kandy ending their 2023 Lanka Premier League campaign. However, despite the disappointing end to their campaign, the Titans can still be proud of the effort as they provided some action-packed matches including a super over game which they won!
Best player for Galle Titans:
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Kasun Rajitha! The Sri Lankan seamer was a deadly weapon for Dasun and the Galle Titans as he got the ball to talk in the powerplay and bowled crucial overs in the death including a fantastic super over! Rajitah finished the tournament with 11 wickets!
Now, the Kings of the LPL, the Jaffna Kings, who for the first time in the history of the LPL were dethroned by B-Love Kandy who landed the killer blow on the Kings by taking them down in the eliminator. That said, this isn’t that big of an upset as the Kings didn’t play the quality of cricket they are known for this campaign as they lost five (5) of their eight (8) group stage matches and only qualified to the playoff through luck as other results went their way. As a result, they entered the playoff by the barest of margins but unfortunately for them, their luck eventually ran out ending their LPL campaign and dethroning them.
Best player for Jaffna Kings:
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Dunith Wellalage! The young all-rounder played a key role for the Kings both with bat and ball as he scored some important runs and picked up vital wickets when his team needed them. Wellalage finished the tournament with 110 runs and ten (10) wickets.
Lastly, the team representing both Lahore and Colombo in the Colombo Strikers had a forgettable LPL campaign as they failed to qualify for the playoffs despite having a star-studded team. As a result, the Strikers managed to win just three (3) of their eight (8) group-stage matches and failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Best player for Colombo Strikers:
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Babar Azam! The Pakistani skipper was by far the best player for the Strikers and was the only shining light of the Colombo campaign! Babar in total scored 261 runs including the only century of this year’s editions throughout the tournament!
Overall, this edition of the Lanka Premier League was yet another fun and exciting edition. This edition saw a new champion and plenty of improvements to the league. Overall, all the teams and players played good cricket and were equally well supported by the fans and everyone together contributed to another successful Lanka Premier League edition.
So with this said, what are your thoughts on this year’s LPL? How do you think your team and favourite player performed? And what improvements do you want to the next edition?
Comment below
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