Cricket
Galle Gladiators after qualifying as the 4th placed team, knocked out table-toppers Colombo Kings in the semis
Updated : Dec 14, 2020, 06:32 AM IST | Edited by : Anshul Gupta
Galle Gladiators have become the first finalists of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) as they knocked the table-toppers Colombo Kings out of the tournament on Sunday, in Hambantota.
Gladiators after losing all their first five games in the league stage qualified as the fourth-placed team after winning two out of their last three games. Since there are only five teams in total, only one team had to be knocked out after the league stage came to an end.
But with the traditional semi-finals format in place, it meant that there were no second chances and the loser had to go home, irrespective of what they did previously in the league stage.
So, Kings with 6 wins were playing Gladiators, who had faced 6 losses and qualified with just two wins.
With Laurie Evans pulling out just before the game, Kings didn't have a good start.
The two Lakshans - Dhananjaya Lakshan and Lakshan Sandakan starred for Gladiators with both the bat and the ball. Bowling first, Gladiators restricted a powerful Kings batting line-up to 150.
Chasing 151, even though Gladiators kept losing wickets at regular intervals, they were never behind the asking rate. And, the Lakshans in the end helped the Gladiators to do an impossible - reach the final of the tournament winning just 3 games out of nine.
Dhananjaya Lakshan ended with 31* (23) after taking two wickets while bowling.
Netizens, however, were divided after the result. While, many said that it was unfair on Kings, who played brilliantly throughout the tournament and advocated for having the playoffs system like the IPL where the teams finishing at No 1 and No 2 positions, get a second chance if they have a bad day in the first.
On the other hand, many users applauded Galdiators for their effort and the 360-degree turnaround of their campaign after they looked out of sorts in the first half of their campaign.
Sri Lanka's Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa too while commending the Gladiators felt that it was unfair on Kings, who played so well in the tournament except in the semis.
Here are some of the reactions:
What a nail-biting game of cricket! Congratulations to the winners, @GalleGladiators who gave it everything! @ColomboKings unlucky not to be in the finals after doing so well in the tournament. Hope the organizers consider introducing “playoffs” in next year’s edition of #LPLT20
— Namal Rajapaksa (@RajapaksaNamal) December 13, 2020
Is this the greatest comeback ever in a T20 league?@GalleGladiators into the #LPL2020 finals out of nowhere! Against all the odds!
— Mohammed Arshaad (@Arshaad97) December 13, 2020
just saw a crazy semifinal in the lankan premier league..now, if the Galle team ends up winning the tournament, they would have done so having lost 6 of their 10 matches! #LPL2020
— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) December 13, 2020
Totally Disappointed for the #LPL2020 #Semifinal
— Shafni (@shafni_15) December 13, 2020
Who wins 6 out of 8 matches out of the tournament and who wins 2 out of 8 matches into the final. #Playoffs is best #ColomboKings #GalleGladiators #CKvGG #LPLSemiFinals #Cricket #lka @LPLt20official @LPLT20 @RajapaksaNamal
. @gallegladiator have toppled the apple cart of @colombokings to gate crash in to the final of the @LPLt20official earlier they had sneaked in to the last 4. Congratulations to them but quite unfair to kings who were till today the best side #GGvCK #CKvGG #LPLt20 #LPL2020 #LPL
— Faisal Siddiqi (@mfs) December 13, 2020
The team won 6 games is out; the team just won 2 games going to the final. Just imagine if they win the final? The champions have only won 3 games. This is why you need to have a better tournament structure. #lka #SriLanka #LPLSemiFinals #LPL #LPL20 #CKvGG
— Prasad Welikumbura (@Welikumbura) December 13, 2020
When you top the class but fail in job interview.#CLGvsGGD #1stSemiFinal #LPL2020 pic.twitter.com/bf0ohghzao
— Qaisar Mayo (@NematQaisar) December 13, 2020
Teachers : Backbenchers can't become topper !!
— Rao Qurban (@RaoQurban20) December 13, 2020
Meanwhile Backbenchers: #LPL2020 #LPLSemiFinals pic.twitter.com/VLBe4kOM8p
(Brief Scores: Galle Gladiators 151/8 - Bhanuka Rajapaksa - 33 (17), Dhananjaya Lakshan - 31* (23) beat Colombo Kings - Daniel Bell-Drummond - 70 (53); Lakshan Sandakan - 3/32, Dhananjaya Lakshan - 2/27 by 2 wickets)