Sri Lanka T20 League, 2022

Final Match: JK vs CS

Preview

Defending champions JK will clash against CS in the final match of the ongoing Sri Lanka T20 League. The match is scheduled at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The final game between the Kings and the Stars will commence at 07:30 PM on Friday, 23rd December 2022. The Colombo side cruised into the finals by defeating Kandy in Qualifier 2 yesterday. In the meantime, Jaffna was already booked the final slot by gaining a victory in Qualifier 1. 

The Kings defeated the Falcons in Qualifier 1 which was a rain-curtailed match by chasing 144 runs. The rain stopped when the Kings were 98/3 in 11 overs before the rain interfered with the gameplay. The game didn’t resume which resulted in the DL method deciding the result. As per the method, the Kings won the match by 24 runs which booked them a berth into the finals. 

Jaffna won 6 out of 8 matches in the league stage and was in the second spot behind the Falcons in the points table. Their star player was Avishka Fernando. He smashed 289 runs in 9 games and is the top run scorer of the tournament. 

The bowling department is led by Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, the prolific leg spinner who has emerged to be the best bowler with 13 wickets in just 7 matches played so far. Also, Binura Fernando is not far behind as he has 11 breakthroughs to his name. 

The Stars ended their league stage campaign at the third spot. They then defeated the Gladiators by seven wickets to play Qualifier 2. The Angelo Mathews-led side was in rage in the second qualifier as they emerged victorious against the table toppers, the Kandy side to book their spot into the final.

The Stars’ most prominent batter is Dinesh Chandimal who is the highest run-getter from the side. The wicketkeeper-batsman has registered 238 runs from 10 innings. Charith Asalanka is also entering the grand stage after scoring a match-winning fifty. Kasun Rajitha, the right-arm pacer who has taken 12 wickets in 7 matches is the highest wickets taker from the side. 

It will now be interesting to see if the Stars are successful in stealing the prestigious trophy from the hands of the defending champions, or if the Kings defend their trophy at all costs.

Match Details

Match: JK vs CS, Final Match, Sri Lanka T20 League 2022

Date: Friday, December 23, 2022

Time: 07:30 PM

Venue: R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Pitch and Weather Report

The pitch on the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo is expected to assist both batters and spin bowlers as noticed in the past. Fans could expect this as a high-scoring encounter. The pitch is sluggish and low in bounce with the surface being flat. Dew will be one of the prime factors for the team batting second on this ground.

As the stadium is away from the sea, the dew plays a vital part as the ball gets tough to hold resulting in match-winning run chases in the white-ball format of the game.

The weather is expected to be cloudy on Friday but with almost no chance of rain. The maximum temperature is expected to be 29 degrees celsius with a 73% humidity rate and a precipitation rate of 6%. 

Squads

JK: Thisara Perera (c), Shoaib Malik, Maheesh Theekshana, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ashan Randika, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dunith Wellalage, Binura Fernando, Suminda Lakshan, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dilshan Madushanka, Nipun Dananjaya, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Theivendiram Dinoshan, James Neesham, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, James Fuller, Waqar Salamkheil, Avishka Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Theesan Vithushan, Zaman Khan, Afif Hossain

CS: Angelo Mathews (c), Seekkuge Prasanna, Dinesh Chandimal, Jeffrey Vandersay, Charith Asalanka, Niroshan Dickwella, Naveen-ul-Haq, Dominic Drakes, Karim Janat, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Muditha Lakshan, Lakshitha Manasinghe, Kevin Koththigoda, Chathuranga Kumara, Navod Paranavithana, Benny Howell, Romario Shepherd, Ravi Bopara, Nishan Madushka, Kasun Rajitha, Suranga Lakmal, Chamod Battage, Keemo Paul, Mohammad Nabi

Probable Playing XIs

JK: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Avishka Fernando, Afif Hossain, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dunith Wellalage, Shoaib Malik, Thisara Perera (c), Zaman Khan, Binura Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 

CS: Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews (c), Charith Asalanka, Ravi Bopara, Nishan Madushka, Benny Howell, Mohammad Nabi, Dominic Drakes, Kasun Rajitha, Jeffrey Vandersay, Suranga Lakmal 

Match Prediction

JK is more complete as a team when we compare their performance against CS. The defending champions will definitely try to dominate the game from the beginning with their overwhelming form. It will be a tough competition as CS are coming into the final with back-to-back wins. But looking into Jaffna's form in the whole tournament, we expect them to win this match and clinch the title for the third consecutive time.

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