The eagerly awaited opening match of the Lanka Premier League 2023 will witness a thrilling clash between Jaffna Kings (JK) and Colombo Strikers (CS) at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Jaffna Kings comes into this season as defending champions, having clinched the title in the previous edition after a closely contested final against Colombo Strikers, their opponents in this opening encounter. However, both teams have seen changes in their squads, setting the stage for an intriguing battle.
Jaffna Kings, led by the experienced Thisara Perera, boasts a well-balanced squad. Their key players include the experienced Shoaib Malik, who brings an impressive T20I record of 2435 runs and 28 wickets. The mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana, with 34 T20I wickets, will be a crucial asset. The explosive batter Charith Asalanka, having scored 823 runs in T20Is, adds further firepower to their lineup.
On the other hand, Colombo Strikers, captained by the renowned Babar Azam, have a strong bowling unit. Key players to watch out for are Chamika Karunaratne, a versatile all-rounder with 291 runs and 24 wickets in T20Is, and Matheesha Pathirana, who impressed with 21 wickets in the IPL and the prolific all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz with 427 runs and 47 wickets add the strength to the line-up.
