The third edition of the Lanka Premier League concluded with Jaffna winning the title for the 3rd consecutive time. The Kings and Kandy Falcons, who topped the table in the league phase, had impressive runs in the tournament so, our Team of the tournament, feature a number of their key players.
- Avishka Fernando (Jaffna Kings)
10 Matches | 339 runs | SR 124.63 | HS 54
The opening batter had another brilliant campaign with Jaffna Kings where he played a pivotal part with the bat in the franchise’s winning campaign. Fernando finished as the tournament’s top run-getter. Fernando’s re-emergence is more special because he is coming off a long injury layoff, not having played competitive cricket for ten months.
- Kusal Mendis (Galle Gladiators)
9 Matches | 256 runs | SR 122.48 | HS 72
The Gladiators’ skipper Mendis had another fruitful season with the bat at the LPL. Mendis was the enforcer at the top of the order for the Gladiators on many occasions and will Captain our Team of the Tournament as well. He finished as the tournament’s 6th highest run-getter.
- Andre Fletcher (Kandy Falcons)
9 Matches | 266 runs | SR 131.68 | HS 102*
The West Indian batter brought great energy to a renewed Kandy setup at the top of the order. His quick-fire cameos gave the Falcons perfect starts, setting the platform for big totals. Fletcher also became the first and only centurion of the season when he smashed 102 runs off 67 balls at a strike rate of 152 against Colombo Stars.
- Sadeera Samarawickrama (Jaffna Kings)
9 Matches | 294 runs | SR 131.25 | HS 62*
Samarawickrama, a consistent performer in the domestic circuit in all-formats, undoubtedly had the best LPL of his career so far. He finished as the 2nd highest run-getter of the tournament and won the Player of the Tournament award, placing him on the verge of a national call-up. Samarawickrama played a key role in the Jaffna Kings’ middle order and was one of the key pillars of Jaffna’s successful campaign this year.
- Kamindu Mendis (Kandy Falcons)
10 Matches | 260 runs | SR 118.18 | HS 58
The left-hander has been another run-machine in domestic cricket over the last 12 months and carried that success to the LPL helping his side take the top spot in the league phase. Though he and the Falcons couldn’t finish the tournament on a winning note, falling at the penultimate hurdle, Mendis displayed some eye-catching performances throughout the tournament.
- Jaffna Kings win their 3rd consecutive title
- Highlights – Colombo Stars vs Jaffna Kings – Final | LPL 2022
- Photos – Colombo Stars vs Jaffna Kings | Finals | LPL 2022
- Nuwanidu Fernando (Galle Gladiators)
9 Matches | 211 runs | SR 131.05 | HS 63*
Fernando who has been on the fringes of the national T20I setup, once again proved his worth in the shortest format of the game. Though he didn’t dominate the batting charts, he made some invaluable contributions in the middle order for the Gladiators. His ability to shift gears and finish off an innings makes him the ideal No. 6 in our team.
- Carlos Brathwaite (Kandy Falcons)
8 Matches | 18 Wickets | BBI 4/14 | Runs 58 | HS 20*
The seaming all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite who made everyone in the cricket fraternity ‘remember his name’ with batting heroics in the 2016 T20I World Cup final, didn’t have much luck with the bat this season, but his bowling was phenomenal as he managed to finish the tournament as the highest wicket-taker. Brathwaite was lethal with the new ball for the Falcons, being especially dangerous during the powerplay.
- Fabian Allen (Kandy Falcons)
9 Matches | 10 Wickets | BBI 2/01 | Runs 66 | HS 47
The spinning all-rounder from West Indies was one of the key weapons of the Falcons’ bowling lineup. He didn’t have a blast with the ball but managed to claim wickets whenever the captain called upon him. He was a wily customer and managed to keep the lid on run-scoring which helped him to maintain an economy rate below 6.5 throughout the tournament.
- Binura Fernando (Jaffna Kings)
5 Matches | 12 Wickets | Econ 7.10 | BBI 4/22
The tall left arm fast bowler was not a regular in the Jaffna bowling lineup because the management needed to get the best out of him, managing his workload. The injury-prone speedster was really impressive in his shortened campaign for Jaffna. He was brilliant with the new ball and had the knack of getting wickets whenever he was brought onto bowl.
- Vijayakanth Viyaskanth (Jaffna Kings)
8 Matches | 13 Wickets | Econ 6.68 | BBI 3/24
The 21-year-old leg spinner was handed a challenging task by the team management to fill the shoes of the outgoing Wanindu Hasaranga at the beginning of the tournament. He ended as the tournament’s 4th highest wicket-taker and the top wicket taker among the spinners, winning the Emerging Player of the Tournament award.
- Nuwan Thushara (Galle Gladiators)
9 Matches | 14 Wickets | Econ 7.44 | BBI 3/29
The Malinga-like speedster found his rhythm with some notable bowling performances in this season. Thushara was the Gladiators’ go to man with the ball as he was a reliable wicket taking option. He was masterful with the new ball and whenever he was tasked with bowling at the death overs, he managed to deceive the opposition batters, claiming vital wickets more often than not.
So that’s how ThePapare.com’s Team of the Tournament lines up for this year. What’s yours? Let’s see your team in the comment section!
