The B-Love Kandy and the Jaffna Kings will face off in the Lanka Premier League 2023 Eliminator on Thursday 17th August. The competition will be held at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

B-Love Kandy and Jaffna Kings clash in the Lanka Premier League eliminator. The breathtaking competition will be held at R Premadasa Stadium.

Led by Wanindu Hasaranga, Kandy had a quiet start to the season after losing two games. After that, however, they won four straight games and became the favorites for placement in the top two.

However, they lost their last two games and were ousted in the points table by the Galle Titans. They will try to make amends after losing to the 20-run Dambulla Aura in the final game of the league stage.

The Kings, led by Thisara Perera, are defending champions but have struggled so far in the tournament. At the end of the league stage, they were tied with the Colombo Strikers on six points.

However, they managed to progress thanks to a superior net run rate. They will go into the game having lost to the Galle Titans by seven wickets. Before that, they also suffered an eight-run loss to Kandy.

Match Preview

B-Love Kandy (BLK) and Jaffna Kings (JK) are set to clash in the 2023 Lanka Premier League eliminator match on August 17 at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. B-Love Kandy lost the last match against Dambulla Aura and they would like to bounce back. The Jaffna Kings had a poor performance with the bat in the last match against the Galle Titans and suffered a significant loss. B-Love Kandy has won both league games against Jaffna Kings which gives the team confidence in this game.

In their last game against Dambulla Aura, B-Love Kandy suffered a narrow 20-run loss. In that game, BLK's standout was Dinesh Chandimal, who hit an impressive 50 runs on 46 balls. He was well assisted by Angelo Mathews, who hit 26 runs from 15 balls. In the bowling department, Nuwan Pradeep impressed with three wickets to defend, but unfortunately it wasn't enough for a win.

On the other hand, Jaffna Kings played their last game against Galle Titans and suffered a disappointing 7-wicket loss. Dunith Wellalage played responsible innings of 22 runs, 31 balls and attempted to secure the innings, but that wasn't enough to generate a competitive total.

Pitch Report

The pitch at R-Premadasa Stadium in Colombo is good for hitting and the pacesetters will get more help initially and the spinners will come into play later in the game. This interface gives batters rewards for their shorts. Because of the rope, batting will be easy in the second inning. The captain who wins the toss should choose to bowl first and go for the goal in the second inning of that game.

Toss Prediction

The captain winning the toss would look to bowl first as chasing teams have enjoyed more success in Colombo

Weather Report

Rain is not a concern in Colombo which is great news. The temperature will range between 20 and 30 degrees.

Match Prediction

B-Love Kandy is in much better shape compared to the Kings who somehow managed to advance to the playoffs.

Prediction: B-Love Kandy will win this game of Lanka Premier League 2023.

Venue Details

Colombo's R.Premadasa Stadium is a batting-friendly stadium with a flat pitch and fast-paced outfield. Great achievements have been made at this venue and we expect the same to be the case here. The wicket doesn't offer much for fast bowlers making runs. Spinners have done well here as the wicket offers good spin and bounce characteristics.

Head to Head

Kandy have been brutal against Jaffna Kings. The team has picked wins in six out of the nine games.

Betting Tips

It may prove premature to sack the Jaffna Kings, the lowest seeded team among the playoff qualifiers. They have a track record at this stage and are likely to bounce back from their poor performance in the group stage. B-Love Kandy's ongoing lineup depth issues, as demonstrated against Dambulla, may also be remembered. All in all, B-Love Kandy performed remarkably well in the second half of the competition, rebounding from the bottom of the box into the playoffs. They have the momentum and their teams seem to be peaking at just the right moment. We will take our chance here and bet on the victory of B-Love Kandy. Support B-Love Kandy to claim a win here.

Probable Playing XI

B-Love Kandy

Mohammad Haris, Fakhar Zaman, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Angelo Mathews, Ashen Bandara, Asif Ali, Wanindu Hasaranga (c), Chaturanga de Silva, Isuru Udana, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Nuwan Pradeep.

Jaffna Kings

Nishan Madushka (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Chris Lynn, Asela Gunaratne, David Miller, Shoaib Malik, Thisara Perera (c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, and Nuwan Thushara.

Top Fantasy Picks Dream11 Prediction

B-Love Kandy Key Players

Dinesh Chandimal scored 50 points in the last match against Dambulla Aura. He was consistently hitting 20s and 30s and there was always a big inning to come. He needs to use the momentum and lead Kandy to victory.

Wanindu Hasaranga has been brilliant in recent games. He's scored runs, including two fifties, and won wickets as well. Hasaranga has 212 runs and 11 wickets in this tournament.

Mujeeb ur Rahman hasn't had a great season so far but we believe he has much more to contribute to the team given his skills.

Jaffna Kings Key Players

Rahmanullah Gurbaz has performed poorly but he has the skills to turn the tide in the big game. The team needs Gurbaz to do well in the Eliminator.

Dunith Wellalage has done well with the ball and taken 10 wickets. He has also demonstrated the ability to score practical runs for the team going forward.

Shoaib Malik can be an asset at must-win. Malik fought well in the tournament, scoring a fifty in his first game. As a spinner, he can also make his contribution with the ball.