The fourth edition of the LPL 2023 promises to be an intriguing affair as all five teams have beefed up their squads considerably to push for a triumphant season. The third match of the tournament will be played between B-Love Kandy (BLK) and Colombo Strikers (CS). The franchise from Colombo narrowly missed out on winning the last edition of the tournament as they were bettered by Jaffna Kings, who won by two wickets with four balls remaining.
KA, under new owners, will hope to get off to a solid start in the campaign. They have the talismanic Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga in the leadership role. The team has some experienced Sri Lankan cricketers like Dushmantha Chameera, Angelo Mathews, and Dinesh Chandimal, among others while foreign players like Fakhar Zaman and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman will certainly add value to the team.
On the other hand, CS will be led by Pakistan captain Babar Azam. Experienced international cricketers like Niroshan Dickwella, Iftikhar Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, and Chamika Karunaratne will look to make a difference for the side. CS also have some promising youngsters in their ranks, like Matheesha Pathirana, Naseem Shah, and Pathum Nissanka.
Match Details:
Tournament: Lanka Premier League 2023
Match: B-Love Kandy vs Colombo Strikers – 3rd Match
Venue: R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Date & Time: 7.30 PM, Monday, July 31
Where to Watch Live: Star Sports and FanCode
R Premadasa Stadium Pitch Report
R Premadasa Stadium has historically been kind to the chasing teams. Last season, seven out of the ten matches at this venue had been won by chasing teams. In the same light, the captain winning the toss will most likely opt to bowl first.
Probable Playing XIs:
B-Love Kandy (BLK)
Fakhar Zaman, Dinesh Chandimal (WK), Angelo Mathews, Sahan Arachchige, Ashen Bandara, Asif Ali, Wanindu Hasaranga (C), Isuru Udana, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Dushmantha Chameera, Mohammad Hasnain
Colombo Strikers (CS)
Babar Azam, Angelo Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Iftikhar Ahmed, Chamika Karunaratne, Ramesh Mendis, Mohammad Nawaz, Niroshan Dickwella (C & wk), Naseem Shah, Matheesha Pathirana, Jeffrey Vandersay
Head-to-Head
Overall
Played – 7 | Colombo Strikers – 05 | B-Love Kandy – 02
Probable Best Batter of the Match
Babar Azam – Colombo Strikers
Babar Azam’s form will be key to Colombo Strikers’ chances in LPL 2023. He generally likes to play the role of an anchor while the other batters can express themselves around him. The experienced Pakistani batter can also up the ante when he gets his eye in.
Probable Best Bowler of the Match
Wanindu Hasaranga – B-Love Kandy
The spin wizard has bamboozled top batters around the world with his subtle variations, and KA will be in good stead if he can play to his full potential in the tournament. Hasaranga had a memorable outing in the ODI World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe. The leg-spinner finished as the highest wicket-taker with 22 wickets in seven matches.
