Galle Gallants defeated Jaffna Kings by five wickets in the final of LPL 2026 to win their first title. Superb bowling from Charith Asalanka and Ishan Malinga laid the foundation for the team’s historic victory.
LPL 2026 Final: Galle Gallants made history with a stellar performance in the final of the Lanka Premier League (LPL 2026). In the title match played in Colombo, Galle defeated Jaffna Kings by five wickets to win the Lanka Premier League trophy for the first time. In this low-scoring match, Galle’s bowlers did not allow Jaffna’s batsmen to play freely.
Jaffna Kings, batting first, posted a score of 123 runs, but the Galle Gallants bowlers failed to put up a substantial total. Charith Asalanka and Ishan Malinga bowled superbly, taking three wickets each. Galle achieved the target with five wickets in hand with 25 balls to spare, becoming the LPL 2026 champions for the first time.
LPL 2026: Asalanka and Malinga do wonders
Galle Gallants’ bowlers laid the foundation for their historic victory. Charith Asalanka and Ishan Malinga combined to take six wickets, restricting the Jaffna Kings to 123. Wicketkeeper and opener Kamil Mishara made the highest contribution for Jaffna, scoring 41 runs off 32 balls, while Chamindu Wickramasinghe made 25 runs off 16 balls. However, Asalanka broke the backbone of Jaffna’s middle order by taking three wickets, while Ishan Malinga also dismissed three batsmen. Tharindu Ratnayake took two wickets. With this performance, Malinga became the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 17 wickets.
Champions of the Lanka Premier League 2026!🏆 pic.twitter.com/UH12sphMTB
— LPL – Lanka Premier League (@LPLT20) August 8, 2026
LPL 2026: Tom Rogers plays a crucial innings
Chasing a target of 124, Galle Gallants didn’t have a good start, losing Sam Harper in the first over. Australian batsman Tom Rogers then steadied the innings, scoring 34 runs off 27 balls to take the team close to the target. However, Shakib Al Hasan took two consecutive wickets in the ninth over, giving Jaffna hope of a comeback. He dismissed Rogers first and then Dinura Kalupahana. Kalupahana made a quickfire 31 off 19 balls, but even after his dismissal, the Galle batsmen maintained composure under pressure.
LPL 2026: Jaffna bowlers fail to stop Galle
Galle Gallants lost several wickets around 100 runs, but the team remained composed in the chase. After Chamika Karunaratne’s dismissal, Dasun Shanaka and Sahan Arachchige took charge and brought the team to the brink of victory. Jaffna’s bowlers did make a comeback in the middle overs, but with a small target of 124 runs, Galle couldn’t sustain the pressure for long.
LPL 2026: Gaul Gallant becomes LPL champion for the first time
With a five-wicket win, Galle Gallants claimed their first title in the Lanka Premier League. The team’s bowling played a key role in this historic victory, with Tom Rogers, Dasun Shanaka, and Sahan Arachchige making crucial contributions in the chase. Meanwhile, Ishan Malinga performed brilliantly throughout the tournament, taking 17 wickets and playing a key role in his team’s victory.