TWO Sri Lankan SUPERSTARS lead their franchises. Charith Asalanka (SL T20I captain) leads Galle Gallants in their 2ND MATCH after the opening night clash vs Jaffna Kings. Kusal Mendis (SL ODI/Test captain) leads Colombo Kaps in their FIRST MATCH of LPL 2026.
Galle Gallants vs Colombo Kaps at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo on Saturday, July 18 at 9:00 PM IST (7:30 PM local). Asalanka (avg 27 SR 186 in recent T20s) vs Kusal Mendis (SL’s most destructive WK-bat in franchise cricket).
Mohammad Nawaz (PAK) + Mehidy Hasan Miraz (BAN) spin for Galle. Mujeeb Ur Rahman (AFG) mystery spin + Kamindu Mendis (SL’s No. 1 ranked Test batter, devastating T20 AR) for Colombo.
Kushal Bhurtel (Nepal) brings associate cricket star power. Ben McDermott (AUS) + Rassie van der Dussen (SA) overseas firepower on both sides.
GM vs CS Match Details
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Galle Gallants vs Colombo Kaps, Match 3, Lanka Premier League 2026 |
| Date | Saturday, 18 July 2026 |
| Time | 9:00 PM IST / 7:30 PM local (NIGHT match under lights) |
| Venue | Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground, Colombo. Same venue as Match 1 (JK vs GM). Batting-friendly surface. Spin-friendly in middle overs. Short boundaries. Dew factor under lights favours chasing. SSC hosts 5 matches July 17–19. |
| Series | Lanka Premier League 2026 (Season 6). 5 teams. 24 league matches + playoffs. July 17–August 8. Impact Player rule NEW. U-23 mandatory rule. Double round-robin format. Top 4 to playoffs. |
| Context | GM (2nd match, played opening night vs Jaffna Kings): Shanaka (c) pace AR. Asalanka (SL T20I captain, avg 27 SR 186 recent). Litton Das (BAN, 19 ODI centuries). Van der Dussen (SA). Sam Harper (AUS WK). Nawaz (PAK spin AR). Mehidy (BAN off-spin). Chamika Karunaratne (SL pace AR). Eshan Malinga (pace). Lost 2024 final by 9 wkts to JK. REVENGE-driven. CS (1st match, FRESH): Kusal Mendis (c, SL’s most destructive WK-bat). Kamindu Mendis (ICC No. 1 Test batter, devastating AR). Ben McDermott (AUS, BBL star, 400+ T20 runs recent). Kushal Bhurtel (Nepal, associate star power). Mujeeb Ur Rahman (AFG, mystery off-spin). Hasan Mahmud (BAN pace). Shahnawaz Dahani (PAK express pace). Janith Liyanage (SL AR). FRESH squad, NO fatigue. |
Dream11 Team for GM vs CS, Match 3
Top Picks For GM vs CS, Match 3
| Player | Team | Role | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charith Asalanka | GM | Captain / Batter | Captain pick. SL T20I captain. SR 186 recent. Elegant left-hand bat. Short SSC boundaries suit. At 2x. |
| Kusal Mendis | CS | VC / WK | Vice-Captain. CS captain. SL’s most destructive WK-bat. Right-hand opener. HOME advantage. At 1.5x. |
| Kamindu Mendis | CS | All-Rounder | ICC No. 1 Test batter. Devastating batting + ambidextrous spin. Switch-hitter. Can bowl off-spin AND leg-spin. Must-pick. |
| Mohammad Nawaz | GM | All-Rounder | Pakistan left-arm spin AR. Economy specialist. Middle-overs control on dry Colombo surface. Batting depth. |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | CS | Bowler | Afghanistan mystery off-spin. Wicket-taker in powerplay. SSC spin surface suits. Carrom ball + doosra. Must-pick. |
Pitch Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue | Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground, Colombo. 3rd match at this venue in 2 days. Surface will start showing wear. |
| Pitch Type | BATTING-FRIENDLY but SPIN growing as surface wears. 3rd match in 2 days = pitch will offer MORE spin than Match 1. Short boundaries reward aggressive batting. Pace useful in powerplay but SPIN will DOMINATE middle overs on a used Colombo surface. |
| Average 1st Innings Score | ~165–180 in T20s at SSC. 170+ competitive. 185+ dominant. Below 150 risky. |
| Pace vs Spin | PACE useful in powerplay (Chamika + Eshan Malinga for GM; Dahani + Hasan Mahmud for CS). SPIN DOMINANT middle overs (Nawaz + Mehidy for GM; Mujeeb + Kamindu ambidextrous spin + Vandersay for CS). 3rd match on same surface = SPIN IS KING. |
| Toss Factor | BOWL FIRST preferred. Night match. Dew under lights assists 2nd innings batting. Chasing easier at SSC. Colombo humidity helps swing early. |
| Key Matchup | Mujeeb (mystery spin) vs Asalanka (left-hand bat). Mujeeb’s carrom ball to Asalanka’s left-hand stance = FASCINATING duel. Also Nawaz (left-arm spin) vs K Mendis (right-hand power) — spin vs explosive batting. |
Weather Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 27–30°C (80–86°F). Tropical Colombo evening. |
| Sky | Partly cloudy. Standard tropical conditions. |
| Rain Chance | 20–30% LOW but possible brief tropical showers. Unlikely to disrupt play significantly. |
| Humidity | HIGH (70–85%). Colombo humidity. Assists swing. DEW later. |
| Overall | TYPICAL Colombo night T20 conditions. Warm, humid, dew under lights. Same conditions as Match 1. SPIN-FRIENDLY used surface. |
GM vs CS Match 3 Toss Prediction
The toss winner should bowl first. Night match at SSC. Dew assists batting in 2nd innings. 3rd match on same surface = spin effective early. Bowl first, restrict, then chase under dew. BOTH Shanaka and Kusal Mendis will bowl first.
If Dasun Shanaka (Galle Gallants) wins, he bowls first. Deploy Chamika + Eshan Malinga pace in powerplay vs Kusal Mendis + McDermott.
Then Nawaz (PAK left-arm) + Mehidy (BAN off-spin) spin web on used SSC surface in middle overs vs Kamindu + Bhurtel. Restrict Colombo below 165. Then Litton Das + Asalanka (SR 186) open under dew. Van der Dussen + Shanaka middle. Harper finishes. Chase.
If Kusal Mendis (Colombo Kaps) wins, he bowls first. Deploy Dahani (PAK express) + Hasan Mahmud (BAN pace) in powerplay vs Litton Das + Asalanka. Then Mujeeb (AFG mystery spin) + Kamindu (ambidextrous spin) on a USED surface vs Van der Dussen + Shanaka.
Restrict Galle below 165 (surface offers spin). Then Kusal Mendis (explosive) + McDermott (AUS) open under dew. Kamindu + Bhurtel (Nepal) middle. Liyanage finishes. Chase.
Injury and Team News
Galle Gallants:
Galle Gallants play their 2ND MATCH in 2 days. After facing defending champions Jaffna Kings on opening night (Match 1), Galle returned to SSC for a quick turnaround against Colombo Kaps.
Charith Asalanka (SL T20I captain, avg 27 SR 186 recently) is the star batter. Dasun Shanaka (c) provides pace all-round options. Litton Das (BAN, 19 ODI centuries) opens aggressively.
Rassie van der Dussen (SA) provides middle-order solidity. Sam Harper (AUS) adds WK-batting depth. Nawaz + Mehidy form a devastating spin duo. Squad depth means Galle can ROTATE players between matches.
Colombo Kaps:
Colombo Kaps play their FIRST match of LPL 2026. FRESH. No fatigue. Kusal Mendis (c) is Sri Lanka’s most destructive franchise batter. SL ODI and Test captain. Has dominated in CPL, LPL, and IPL. Kamindu Mendis is the ICC No. 1 ranked Test batter who also bowls AMBIDEXTROUS spin (off-spin from one hand, leg-spin from the other). UNIQUE in world cricket.
Ben McDermott (AUS) brings BBL star power (400+ T20 runs recently, right-hand power). Kushal Bhurtel (Nepal) is the associate cricket sensation who has scored hundreds vs international teams.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman (AFG) brings mystery spin that troublemaker even the best T20 batters. Shahnawaz Dahani (PAK) + Hasan Mahmud (BAN) add international pace quality.
