HW
After Colombo Kings got the better of Kandy Tuskers in a Super Over in the Lanka Premier League (LPL 2020) opener, the focus now shifts to the second match to be held between Galle Gladiators and Jaffna Stallions.
Galle Gladiators are considered one of the strong contenders for the trophy owing to their all-round strength. Although they would be disappointed with experienced pacer Lasith Malinga and former Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed pulling out, Galle Gladiators still have enough firepower to make an impact.
Their skipper Shahid Afridi is set to be unavailable for the first two games of LPL 2020 as he missed his initial scheduled flight to Sri Lanka. In his absence, vice-captain Bhanuka Rajapaksa should lead the side and also look to put himself in firm contention for Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup squad next year.
The enterprising duo of Danushka Gunathilaka and Hazratullah Zazai, both of whom can hit the ball a long way, are likely to open the batting. In Afridi’s absence, there will be additional responsibility on Gunathilaka and Zazai to fire. Shehan Jayasuriya is also a talented batting all-rounder.
In the bowling, Galle Gladiators will be happy to have the services of left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir. The experienced Pakistan pacer did well for Karachi Kings in PSL 2020, claiming 10 wickets in 11 games at a strike rate of 25.7. In the spin department, Lakshan Sandakan will have a major role to play for Galle Gladiators, supporting Amir.
Jaffna Stallions were dealt a major blow when their star overseas player Dawid Malan, who is also the top-ranked T20I player in the world, became among the many names to pull out of LPL 2020.
In Malan’s absence, Avishka Fernando will be expected to take on greater responsibility in the opening partnership with Nuwanidu Fernando. Jaffna have a strong middle-order, with the likes of big-hitting skipper Thisara Perera, Dhananjaya De Silva, Johnson Charles and all-rounder Shoaib Malik.
In the bowling department, they have strong pace bowling options in the likes of Suranga Lakmal, Kyle Abbott, Usman Shinwari and Duanne Olivier. The left-arm spin of Prabath Jayasuriya will also be something to look forward to.
On paper, the teams are almost evenly matched. But the absence of Shahid Afridi could be a major factor for Galle Gladiators as he is capable of contributing with bat and ball.
Gunathilaka and Zazai are exciting openers and have the ability to get Galle Gladiators off to a rollicking start. However, they seem to lack firepower in the middle-order.
Amir can make up for the perceived weakness in the batting if he gets multiple wickets with the ball. The others in the bowling department will have to support him though.
In contrast, Jaffna Stallions have a slightly more settled outfit, with the experience of all-rounders Perera and Malik to follow the openers. Lakmal and Abbott are also capable of striking big blows with the ball.
Prediction: Galle Gladiators to win
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