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The Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024’s league stage reached a thrilling end with high-scoring games, suspenseful finales, and outstanding individual batting and bowling performances. The Jaffna Kings, Galle Marvels, Colombo Strikers, and Kandy Falcons are the four teams that will advance to the playoffs. In Colombo, the playoffs are scheduled to start on Thursday.
Here’s a look at the LPL’s five most important moments from the 2024 group stage
Most sixes in an LPL season
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Continuing the pattern of high-scoring games, this edition has already featured 307 sixes, the most ever in an LPL season. The previous highest was 275 in the 2020 edition.
The bowlers have suffered the most as a result of all the big-hitting; they have given up runs at the highest economy rate of 8.98 runs per over this LPL season thus far.
High scores, tight finishes
Fans had tonnes of enjoyment as high-scoring matches were regularly created by some outstanding batting pitches, particularly in Pallekele and Dambulla. Except for one game impacted by weather, the average innings total was roughly 175.
There were also a few breathtaking endings. A Super Over broke a tie in one chase, two were decided on the very last ball, and a third was settled by a mere two runs.
Nissanka-Fernando, Seifert-Hales
Galle Marvels and Jaffna Kings, the top two teams at the end of the league campaign, had different lead scorers. The Jaffna Kings were led by their local duo of Avishka Fernando and Pathum Nissanka, who combined to score a season-high 311 runs at respective strike rates of 166.31 and 161.13.
On the other hand, Tim Seifert (291 runs, SR 133.48) and Alex Hales (284 runs, SR 135.88), a Kiwi-English combination, led the Galle Marvels. In the league stage, these two finished fourth and fifth in terms of runs scored, behind Fernando, Nissanka, and Kusal Perera of the Dambulla Sixers.
Fastest Century, second hat-trick
Kusal Perera recorded the fastest century in LPL history, completing the feat in just 50 balls against Jaffna Kings in Pallekele. Additionally, it was the first tonne of LPL’s fifth edition.
On the bowling front, Shadab Khan, an all-round leg-spinner for the Colombo Strikers, achieved just the second-ever hat-trick in the history of the LPL, taking down the Kandy Falcons in Pallekele. Wanindu Hasaranga, the captain, was first removed by Shadab. Hasaranga had achieved the first LPL hat-trick in 2022. Agha Salman and Pawan Rathnayake were then dismissed for golden ducks.
Bowlers hit back in Colombo
Following challenging averages of 180 and 190 in Pallekele and Dambulla, the bowlers recovered on more forgiving wickets in Colombo, where averages now hover around 140. In Pallekele and Dambulla, bowlers received punishment with average economy rates of 9.26 and 9.58, respectively; in Colombo, they have conceded just 7.67 thus far.
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