‘Babar ka bad luck kab khatam hoga’ – Fans react as Dambulla Aura thrash Colombo Strikers by 50 runs in LPL 2023

The action returned in the ongoing Lanka Premier League 2023 (LPL 2023) with Dambulla Aura (DA) and Colombo Strikers (CLS) going head-to-head in match number 16 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The Auras won the toss and elected to bat first. Riding on half-centuries by Ben McDermott and Alex Ross, they reached 166/5 in 20 overs. While McDermott smashed 69 off 46, including four boundaries and four sixes, Ross contributed with 52 off 38, including five fours and two sixes. Matheesha Pathirana returned with the best bowling figures for the Strikers with 2/36 in four overs. Naseem Shah, Chamika Karunaratne, and Jeffrey Vandersay scalped one wicket each.

In response, the Strikers could only manage 116 runs before being bowled out with 2 balls to spare. Nuwanidu Fernando with 21 off 20, including three fours remained the top-scorer for the Strikers. Mohammed Nawaz with 20 off 24, including two boundaries was the only other batter to reach the 20-run mark. At the same time, Pathum Nissanka (12 off 8), Babar Azam (11 off 13), Niroshan Dickwella (17 off 6) and Iftikhar Ahmed (18 off 26) scored in the double digits.

Dambulla Aura and B-Love Kandy have qualified for the Playoffs

Talking of the bowling from the Auras, Hasan Ali remained the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/16 in his four overs. He was followed by Noor Ahmed (2/14), Dushan Hemantha (2/16), and Binura Fernando (2/18). Janith Liyanage returned with one wicket while Dhananjaya de Silva was the only Dambulla bowler to go wicketless. With their latest win, the Auras reached the top of the table with 10 points from seven games. This also ensured their place in the Playoffs of LPL 2023.

In the first game of the match, B-Love Kandy defeated the reigning champions Jaffna Kings by 8 runs as the Kings failed to complete their 179-run chase, finishing at 170/6. With eight points from six games, B-Love Kandy has also confirmed their place in the Playoffs. Two more teams will qualify for the Playoffs. As of now, the Colombo Strikers are struggling at the bottom of the table with four points from six matches.

Here’s how fans reacted: