The Sri Lanka Lions got off to a flying start, defeating the Afghanistan Pathans by 15 runs in the opening match of the Asian Legends League Season 2. Captain Thisara Perera played a key role in the victory with an all-round performance.
ALL 2026, SL vs AFG: The Asian Legends League Season 2 got off to a thrilling start, with the Sri Lankan Lions putting in a superb performance to defeat the Afghanistan Pathans by 15 runs. Played at the Lotus Sports Club Ground in Lusaka, Zambia, the Sri Lankan team displayed strong performances in both batting and bowling.
The match, played after an opening ceremony attended by Indian High Commissioner Alok Ranjan Jha, provided a thrilling encounter. Batting first, the Sri Lankan Lions scored 153 for 6 in 20 overs and then restricted the Afghanistan Pathans to 138/6 with a disciplined bowling effort.
ALL 2026: Middle order steadies innings, posts challenging total of 153
Sri Lanka Lions, who won the toss and elected to bat first, had a modest start, but the middle order took charge and led the team to a strong score. Milinda Siriwardana played a useful innings of 37 runs off 25 balls, while Mevan Fernando made 25, Minod Bhanuka 23, and captain Thisara Perera made 24 runs off 19 balls to take the team to 153/6.
ALL 2026: Mousif Khan’s innings went in vain, Perera’s bowling turned the match around
Chasing a target of 154, Afghanistan Pathans got off to a quick start with opener Mosif Khan scoring 39 runs in 24 balls. However, wickets kept falling at the other end and the team failed to maintain the required run rate. Sri Lankan captain Thisara Perera also performed brilliantly with the ball, taking 3 crucial wickets for 21 runs. Under his leadership, the Sri Lankan bowlers restricted Afghanistan to 138/6 in 20 overs, giving the team a 15-run victory.
ALL 2026: Thisara Perera praises the team after the win
After the match, captain Thisara Perera said the team’s goal was to surpass the 140-run mark, as there was little information about the pitch’s behavior. He said 153 was a good score on this wicket, and the bowlers supported the batsmen’s performance brilliantly. Perera also said that hosting the tournament at an international venue like Zambia was a great initiative by the organizers, and that all the players were enjoying playing there.
ALL 2026: Two matches will be played today
With this win, the Sri Lankan Lions have made a strong start to the Asian Legends League Season 2 standings. A double-header will now be played at the Lotus Sports Club Ground on Friday. The first match will pit the Pakistan Panthers against the Asian Stars, while the second will pit the Indian Royals against the Bangladesh Tigers.