DAMBULLA, 26 July 2026
Galle Gallants produced a dominant all-round performance to defeat Dambulla Sixers by 44 runs in Match 14 of the Lanka Premier League 2026 at the Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, registering their fourth win of the tournament and moving to the top of the points table heading into the Kandy leg of the competition.
Match Summary
Galle Gallants 220/6 (20 overs) beat Dambulla Sixers 176/7 (20 overs) by 44 runs.
Karunaratne Blitz Headlines Gallants’ 220
Having won the toss and elected to bat first, Galle Gallants piled up a formidable 220 for 6, powered by an explosive knock from Chamika Karunaratne, who smashed an unbeaten 72 off just 34 deliveries at a strike rate above 210, striking four boundaries and six towering sixes.
Karunaratne was well set up by the batters above him. Sam Harper (41), Charith Asalanka (31), Nurul Hasan (29) and Sahan Arachchige (28) all played their part in building a platform before Karunaratne cut loose in the closing overs to push the total well past 200. For Dambulla, pace spearhead Dushmantha Chameera stood out despite an expensive spell, finishing with a five-wicket haul of 5 for 55 from his four overs.
Sixers Fall Short Despite Fighting Effort
Facing a stiff target of 221, Dambulla Sixers struggled from the outset to keep pace with the required rate. Ramesh Mendis top-scored with 39, while Niroshan Dickwella made a promising start with 32, but neither knock was enough to seriously trouble the Gallants’ total. Making his first appearance of the tournament, wrist-spinner Sachindu Colombage made an immediate impact, claiming 3 for 17 to derail the Sixers’ chase. Dambulla eventually finished on 176 for 7, falling 44 runs short.
What It Means
The result is Galle Gallants’ fourth win of LPL 2026 and lifts them to the top of the points table with the tournament shifting to Kandy for its next phase. Dambulla Sixers, by contrast, remain stuck near the foot of the table with two wins from five matches, and will need to arrest their slide quickly to keep playoff hopes alive.
Up Next
The LPL 2026 group stage moves to Pallekele, with Colombo Kaps taking on Jaffna Kings on July 28, followed by Kandy Royals against Galle Gallants and Colombo Kaps against Dambulla Sixers over the following two days, as teams jostle for position before the tournament heads to its Kandy and Colombo legs ahead of the playoffs and final on August 8.
Reporting by LankaNewsLinks