Srinagar: Jaffna Kings defeated Colombo Strikers by 21 runs in the inaugural match of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2023 in Colombo, on Sunday.
Strikers struggled from the very start after Thisara Perera removed Babar Azam with a tricky delivery for just seven runs.
After Azam’s wicket, it was Pathum Nissanka’s turn who as well could not do anything. He departed for the pavilion after scoring just one run.
Strikers’ skipper Niroshan Dickwella played a captain knock scoring 58 off 34 balls with a total of 10 boundaries.
Wickets did not stop falling and one by one, the Strikers lost all of their players for a total of 152 runs.
Kings’ bowlers were the difference makers. Especially Hardus Viljoen, who took three important wickets of Nissanka, Mohammad Nawaz and Ramesh Mendis.
While batting first Kings scored 173 in 20 overs with all of their batters scoring in double digits, displaying an all-round performance.