Galle Gallants Win Maiden LPL Title After Defeating Jaffna Kings in 2026 Final

Galle Gallants secured their first-ever Lanka Premier League (LPL) title with a convincing five-wicket victory over Jaffna Kings in the 2026 final at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

After winning the toss and putting Jaffna Kings into bat, Galle’s bowlers produced an excellent performance to dismiss the defending side for just 123 runs. Charith Asalanka and Eshan Malinga were the standout performers, taking three wickets apiece to dismantle Jaffna’s middle order.

Wicketkeeper-opener Kamil Mishara provided the main resistance for Jaffna, scoring 41 runs from 32 deliveries. Chamindu Wickramasinghe added a brisk 25 off 16 balls, but the Kings struggled to build substantial partnerships.

Malinga finished with figures of 3/25, while Asalanka returned an impressive 3/20. Tharindu Ratnayake also contributed with the ball, taking 2/14 as Galle’s attack kept Jaffna under constant pressure.

Tom Rogers Sets Up Galle’s Successful Chase

Chasing 124 for the championship, Galle Gallants lost Sam Harper in the opening over, but Tom Rogers steadied the innings with a valuable 34 from 27 balls.

Rogers and Dinura Kalupahana, who scored 31 from 19 deliveries, kept the chase on track before Shakib Al Hasan produced a crucial double strike in the ninth over.

Shakib dismissed both Rogers and Kalupahana in quick succession, while Chamika Karunaratne also departed soon after. However, Dasun Shanaka and Sahan Arachchige ensured there was no late drama as Galle reached 126/5 in just 15.5 overs.

Eshan Malinga Finishes as LPL’s Leading Wicket-Taker

Malinga’s three-wicket haul in the final also took his tournament tally to 17 wickets, making him the leading wicket-taker of LPL 2026. He finished the competition with an economy rate of 9.32.

Galle’s victory capped a memorable campaign and delivered the franchise its maiden LPL championship. The combination of Asalanka and Malinga with the ball and Rogers, Shanaka and Arachchige with the bat proved decisive in the final.

Brief scores: Jaffna Kings 123 (Mishara 41; Asalanka 3/20, Malinga 3/25, Ratnayake 2/14) lost to Galle Gallants 126/5 in 15.5 overs (Rogers 34, Kalupahana 31; Shakib 2/15, Mathew 2/15) by five wickets.