COLOMBO: Colombo Caps sealed a comprehensive 68-run victory over Kandy Royals to knock them out of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday.
Set a daunting 204, Kandy Royals were bowled out for 135 in 18.4 overs.
Lahiru Igalagamage and Pawan Sandesh added 44 in 4.2 overs before the Caps bowlers pulled things back. Sandesh hit four boundaries in his 21 off 14, while Igalagamage top-scored with a 50 off 36, hitting two sixes and five fours.
After a rollicking start, Royals slipped to 68-3 in 8.1 overs.
With the asking rate rising, Royals continued to lose their wickets at regular intervals, with no batsman providing a significant contribution with the bat.
Kusal Perera managed two, while veteran batter Angelo Matthews could only score 14. Iftikhar Ahmed hit two sixes in his 15 off 12.
For Colombo Kaps, six out of five bowlers picked up two wickets each, including Shahnawaz Dahani, who came in as a substitute.
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Earlier, Ben McDermott’s explosive knock powered Colombo Kaps to a big total against Opting to bat first, Colombo Kaps finished their innings on 203-7 in 20 overs. Ben McDermott top-scored with 71 off 39. Notably, his innings included seven sixes and a single boundary.
James Neesham provided the innings with a late flourish, hitting an unbeaten 42 off 23 balls, striking six fours and a maximum.
Colombo Kaps had a shaky start as they lost three wickets for 58 inside the powerplay.
McDermott held the innings together with a couple of half-century partnerships in the middle order to play a pivotal role in his team’s big total.
He first added 58 with Janith Liyanage for the fourth wicket, bringing the total to the 115-run mark. Liyanage made a 19-ball 32 with the help of three sixes and a four.
The Australian batter then added 58 with Neesham to take the total near the 200-run mark.
For Kandy Royals, Shaheen Afridi, Zahir Khan, and Nuwan Thushara picked up two wickets each.
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