On Sunday, July 30, at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, the fourth season of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) got underway with a match between the reigning champions Jaffna Kings (JK) and Colombo Stars (CS).
It was Babar Azam first LPL game as Pakistan’s captain. The 28-year-old plays for Niroshan Dickwella’s Colombo Strikers in the LPL. Babar Azam often draws a large audience to the field wherever he plays because of his alluring personality. A touching occurrence occurred when the Pakistani cricketer’s LPL debut was witnessed by a sea of fans who were observed cheering for him.
Babar Azam supporters’ chants and cheers were recorded on camera, and the video is already trending on social media.
Watch the video:
There’s a Kid in Stands repeatedly shouting “Babar Azam” and requesting Babar’s attention. It’s quite entertaining!
King Babar Azam#BabarAzam #LPL2023 #BabarAzam𓃵
— King Babar Azam Army (@kingbabararmy) July 30, 2023
LPL 2023’s opening game saw Jaffna Kings defeat Colombo Strikers by 21 runs.
After winning the toss, Colombo Strikers captain Niroshan Dickwella requested that Jaffna Kings bat first. The Kings scored 174 runs for Colombo Strikers thanks to Towhid Hridoy’s half-century. Four boundaries and one maximum were part of his 54 off 39 hits. A wicket each was taken by the strikers Naseem Shah, Matheesha Pathirana, Chamika Karunaratne, and Lakshan Sandakan.
Dickwella took the initiative for his team, scoring 58 runs off 34 deliveries, including nine fours and one six. Though they were limited to 152 in the final over with two balls left, the captain’s fifty-run effort was in vain.
With a three-wicket haul, Hardus Viljoen was crucial for the Kings. For the Jaffna Kings, the captain Thisara Perera took one wicket, Dilshan Madushanka and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth each took two.
On July 31, two LPL matches will be played. In the first match, Galle Gladiators will play Dambulla Giants, while in the second, Kandy Falcons and Colombo Strikers will square off.