Jaffna Stallions in 2020 explained

Club:	Jaffna Stallions
Season:	2020
Captain:	Thisara Perera
Coach:	Thilina Kandamby
Comp1:	2020 LPL
Comp1 Result:	Champions
Most Runs:	Avishka Fernando (275)^[1]
Most Wickets:	Wanindu Hasaranga (17)^[2]
Nextseason:	2021

The Jaffna Stallions (abbreviated as JS) is a franchise cricket team which competed in inaugural season of Lanka Premier League (LPL). For the 2020 season, the team was captained by Thisara Perera and coached by Thilina Kandamby.^[3] The team qualified for the semi-finals after winning 4 out of 8 matches. However, the team had the highest run rate of all teams. They qualified for the final by defeating Dambulla Viiking in the semi-final. The team won the final by defeating the Galle Gladiators.^[4]

Season summary

In the first game of their history, the Stallions faced the Galle Gladiators. The Gladiators never really got going aside from a quick-fire 58 runs off 23 balls by their captain Shahid Afridi. In response, the Stallions chased down the target of 175/8 made by the Gladiators with three balls to spare winning the match by 8 wickets.^[5] In Game 2, a captain's innings from Thisara Perera helped propel the Stallions to 217/8 from their 20 overs against Dambulla Viiking's. In the Viiking innings, Pakistani bowler Usman Shinwari took three wickets to give the Stallions their second win of the season.^[6]

Perera was involved once again in the Stallions' third game. He scored 68 runs off 28 balls to get the Stallions to 185/8. Usman Shinwari was once again the pick of the bowlers, this time with 3/17 to hand the Stallions their third successive win.^[7] In Game 4, the Stallions beat the Gladiators a second time. This win was largely due to the Stallions opener, Avishka Fernando who scored 84 runs off 59 balls and hit five 6's. This meant that the Stallions were still unbeaten in the tournament after playing four games.^[8]

Game 5 of the Stallions' season came against the Colombo Kings. Jaffna scored 148/9 from their 20 overs, with Wanindu Hasaranga top-scoring with 41 runs. In response, the target was chased down by the Colombo Kings with six wickets to spare. This was the Stallions' first loss of the season.^[9] Unfortunately for the Stallions, their sixth game was washed out. However, they stayed at the top of the table on the basis of a superior net run rate.^[10] Two days later, they played their penultimate game of the league stage against the Kandy Tuskers. They were bowled out for 150 runs, with Shoaib Malik top-scoring with 59 runs. They could not replicate the Tuskers with the ball, losing the game by 6 wickets.^[11]

The last match of the group stage for the Stallions was against the Kings. Batting first, the Kings scored 173/4 largely due to Laurie Evans, who scored the first-ever Lanka Premier League hundred. In response, the Stallions could only score 167/6 from their 20 overs, losing their third successive game.^[12] However, they still qualified for the semi-finals in third place.^[13]

In the semi-final, they defeated Dambulla Viiking with a margin of 37 runs.^[14]

The team opposed Galle Gladiators in the final. The Stallions won the toss and elected to bat. Pakistani skilled cricketer Shoaib Malik thumped 46 runs off 35 balls, Thisara Perera scored quick fire 39 runs off 14 balls and the team set the target of 189 runs. The Gladiators' performance in the match deteriorated, however, as skipper Dhananjaya Lakshan hammered 40 runs off 17 balls and Pakistani cricketer Azam Khan scored 36 runs off 17 balls. The tournament ceased with the Stallions winning their first inaugural Lanka Premier League season after recording a comprehensive 53-run win over the Gladiators.^[4]

Squad

• Players with international caps are listed in bold
• Ages given as of 26 November 2020, the date the first match was played in the tournament

No.	Name	Nationality	Date of birth (aged)	Batting style	Bowling style	Notes
Batsmen
28	Avishka Fernando		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Right-arm medium-fast
29	Dawid Malan		November 26, 2020	Left-handed	Right-arm legbreak	Marquee overseas player
45	Asif Ali		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Right-arm offbreak	Overseas
23	Nuwanidu Fernando		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Right-arm offbreak
All-rounders
1	Thisara Perera		November 26, 2020	Left-handed	Right-arm medium-fast	Captain, Icon player
75	Dhananjaya de Silva		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Right-arm offbreak
13	Wanindu Hasaranga		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Legbreak
18	Shoaib Malik		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Right-arm offbreak	Overseas
10	Ravi Bopara		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Right-arm medium	Overseas
14	Charith Asalanka		November 26, 2020	Left-handed	right-arm offspin
N/A	Theivendiram Dinoshan		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Right-arm fast
Wicket-keepers
18	Minod Bhanuka		November 26, 2020	Left-handed	—
50	Chaturanga de Silva		November 26, 2020	Left-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox
25	Johnson Charles		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Right-arm medium-fast	Overseas
23	Tom Moores		November 26, 2020	Left-handed	—	Overseas
Bowlers
82	Suranga Lakmal		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Right-arm medium-fast
N/A	Binura Fernando		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Left-arm medium-fast
N/A	Prabath Jayasuriya		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox
14	Usman Shinwari		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Left-arm fast-medium	Overseas
87	Kyle Abbott		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium	Overseas
74	Duanne Olivier		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium	Overseas
N/A	Maheesh Theekshana		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Right-arm offbreak
N/A	Kanagarathinam Kabilraj		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium
N/A	Vijayakanth Viyaskanth		November 26, 2020	Right-handed	Legbreak
N/A	Sebastianpillai Vijeyaraj		Right-handed	Right-arm fast

• Sources^{[15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21]}

Administration and support staff

Position	Name	Ref.
CEO	Anandan Arnold	^[22] ^[23] ^[24] ^[25]
Mentor	Hemang Badani
Head coach	Thilina Kandamby	^[26] ^[27]
Fast bowling coach	Mario Villavarayan	^[28] ^[29]
Spin bowling coach	Sachith Pathirana	^[30]
Fielding coach	Vimukthi Deshapriya	^[31] ^[32]

Season standings

Matches

denotes the winning team.
denotes the losing team.
denotes no result.! Date! Opponent! Toss! Result! Man of the match! Notes

27 November	Galle Gladiators	Galle Gladiators elected to bat	Jaffna Stallions won by 8 runs	Avishka Fernando	^[33]
30 November	Dambulla Viiking	Dambulla Viiking elected to field	Jaffna Stallions won by 66 runs	Thisara Perera	^[34]
1 December	Kandy Tuskers	Jaffna Stallions elected to bat	Jaffna Stallions won by 54 runs		^[35]
3 December	Galle Gladiators	Galle Gladiators elected to bat	Jaffna Stallions won by 5 wickets	Avishka Fernando	^[36]
4 December	Colombo Kings	Colombo Kings elected to field	Colombo Kings won by 6 wickets	Dinesh Chandimal	^[37]
7 December	Dambulla Viiking	Jaffna Stallions elected to field	Cancelled due to rain^[38]
9 December	Kandy Tuskers	Jaffna Stallions elected to bat	Kandy Tuskers won by 6 wickets	Asela Gunaratne	^[39]
10 December	Colombo Kings	Jaffna Stallions elected to field	Colombo Kings won by 6 runs	Laurie Evans	^[40]
14 December	Dambulla Viiking	Dambulla the elected to field	Jaffna Stallions won by 37 runs	Johnson Charles	Won the semi-final^[41]
16 December	Galle Gladiators	Jaffna Stallions elected to bat	Jaffna Stallions won by 53 runs	Shoaib Malik	Won the final^[42]

Statistics

Most runs

* indicates a player who remained not out.! Batsman! Matches! Runs! Highest score

Avishka Fernando	9	275	92*
Thisara Perera	10	261	97*
Shoaib Malik	10	203	59
Johnson Charles	6	134	76
Wanindu Hasaranga	10	127	41

Most wickets

Notation 2/12 denotes 2 wickets obtained by 12 runs.! Bowler! Matches! Wickets! Best bowling

Wanindu Hasaranga	10	17	3/15
Duanne Olivier	9	10	4/44
Usman Shinwari	7	9	3/16
Suranga Lakmal	7	8	2/27
Thisara Perera	10	5	2/9

Awards and achievements

Date	Award	Player	Opponent	Result	Contribution	Ref.
27 November	Man of the Match	Avishka Fernando	Galle Gladiators	Won by 8 runs
30 November		Thisara Perera	Dambulla Viiking	Won by 66 runs	97*
1 December			Kandy Tuskers	Won by 54 runs	68
3 December		Avishka Fernando	Galle Gladiators	Won by 5 wickets	84
14 December		Johnson Charles	Dambulla Viiking	Won by 37 runs	76	^[43]
16 December		Shoaib Malik	Galle Gladiators	Won by 53 runs	46	^[44]

Notes and References

1. Web site: JS Most Runs in LPL 2020. Cricinfo. 13 December 2020.
2. Web site: JS Most Wickets in LPL 2020. Cricinfo. 13 December 2020.
3. Web site: Lanka Premier League 2020: Sri Lanka Cricket to confirm fixtures after decision on India series . The Sports Rush. 12 December 2020.
4. Web site: Jaffna Stallions win inaugural Lanka Premier League with thumping final win over Galle Gladiators. SkySports. 16 December 2020. 16 December 2020.
5. Web site: Avishka Fernando's 92* trumps Shahid Afridi blitz to give Jaffna Stallions winning start . ESPN Cricinfo.
6. Web site: Thisara Perera's whirlwind 97 blows Dambulla Viiking away . ESPN Cricinfo.
7. Web site: Thisara Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva power unbeaten Jaffna Stallions . ESPN Cricinfo.
8. Web site: Wanindu Hasaranga, Avishka Fernando lead Jaffna Stallions to fourth straight win . ESPN Cricinfo.
9. Web site: Dinesh Chandimal sees Colombo Kings home to keep things tight at the top . ESPN Cricinfo.
10. Web site: Dambulla Viiking, Jaffna Stallions stay atop points table after washout . ESPN Cricinfo.
11. Web site: Gunaratne, Pradeep shine for Kandy Tuskers as Steyn sizzles on LPL 2020 debut . ESPN Cricinfo.
12. Web site: Laurie Evans goes through gears with LPL's first hundred to push Colombo Kings into second . ESPN Cricinfo.
13. Web site: 2020 LPL Table . ESPN Cricinfo.
14. Web site: Jaffna Stallions set up final clash with Galle Gladiators. ESPNcricinfo. 17 December 2020.
15. Web site: Jaffna Stallions Squad. Cricinfo.
16. Web site: LPL 2020: Jaffna Stallions Team Guide & Squad List | Lanka Premier League. 25 November 2020. Wisden.
17. Web site: ShieldSquare Captcha. validate.perfdrive.com.
18. Web site: ShieldSquare Captcha. validate.perfdrive.com.
19. Web site: Yahoo Cricket. cricket.yahoo.net.
20. Web site: Jaffna Stallions LPL Squad 2020 (Players List & Base Salaries). 19 October 2020. Sportekz.
21. Web site: Jaffna Stallions squad for Lanka Premier League 2020. 30 November 2020.
22. Web site: Canadian co-owner sees Jaffna Stallions win inaugural Lankan Premier League final. CKOM. News.
23. Web site: Canadian co-owner sees Jaffna Stallions win inaugural Lankan Premier League final. 16 December 2020. thestar.com.
24. Web site: Canadian co-owner sees Jaffna Stallions win inaugural Lankan Premier League final. ca.news.yahoo.com.
25. Web site: Sri Lanka- Anandan Arnold named as Jaffna Stallions Chief Executive. menafn.com.
26. Web site: LPL 2020: Thilina Kandamby appointed Jaffna Stallions head coach. 12 November 2020. 21 December 2020.
27. Web site: Thilina Kandamby appointed Jaffna Stallions Head Coach. www.dailymirror.lk. 21 December 2020.
28. Web site: Stallions poised to power through LPL – Jaffna Stallions - Previews. Estelle. Vasudevan. 25 November 2020. 21 December 2020.
29. Web site: Jaffna Stallions guided to extreme fitness by trainer Mario Villavarayan. Leonard. Ratnayake. 4 December 2020. 21 December 2020.
30. Web site: Jaffna Stallions conduct training session for LPL with three local boys. 14 November 2020. Sunday Observer. 21 December 2020.
31. Web site: Jaffna Stallions start training for Lanka Premier League. 12 November 2020. 21 December 2020.
32. Web site: Sri Lanka- Jaffna Stallions kicks off full-blown training session for LPL. menafn.com. 21 December 2020.
33. Web site: Stallions beat Gladiators Stallions won by 8 wickets - Gladiators vs Stallions, 2nd Match Match Summary, Report | ESPNcricinfo.com. ESPNcricinfo.
34. Web site: Stallions beat Viiking Stallions won by 66 runs - Stallions vs Viiking, 5th Match Match Summary, Report | ESPNcricinfo.com. ESPNcricinfo.
35. Web site: Stallions beat Tuskers Stallions won by 54 runs - Stallions vs Tuskers, 8th Match Match Summary, Report | ESPNcricinfo.com. ESPNcricinfo.
36. Web site: Stallions beat Gladiators Stallions won by 5 wickets - Gladiators vs Stallions, 9th Match Match Summary, Report | ESPNcricinfo.com. ESPNcricinfo.
37. Web site: Kings beat Stallions Kings won by 6 wickets - Stallions vs Kings, 11th Match Match Summary, Report | ESPNcricinfo.com. ESPNcricinfo.
38. Web site: Viiking vs Stallions, 15th Match Match Details, Schedule, Summary | ESPNcricinfo.com. ESPNcricinfo.
39. Web site: Tuskers beat Stallions Tuskers won by 6 wickets - Stallions vs Tuskers, 16th Match Match Summary, Report | ESPNcricinfo.com. ESPNcricinfo.
40. Web site: Kings beat Stallions Kings won by 6 runs - Kings vs Stallions, 18th Match Match Summary, Report | ESPNcricinfo.com. ESPNcricinfo.
41. Web site: Viiking vs Stallions, 2nd Semi-final Match Details, Schedule, Summary | ESPNcricinfo.com. ESPNcricinfo. 14 December 2020.
42. Web site: Gladiators vs Stallions, Final Match Details, Schedule, Summary | ESPNcricinfo.com. ESPNcricinfo.
43. Web site: Stallions beat Viiking Stallions won by 37 runs - Stallions vs Viiking, 2nd Semi-final Match Summary, Report | ESPNcricinfo.com. ESPNcricinfo.
44. Web site: Stallions beat Gladiators Stallions won by 53 runs - Stallions vs Gladiators, Lanka Premier League, Final Match Summary, Report | ESPNcricinfo.com. ESPNcricinfo. 17 December 2020.