Lanka Premier League, Galle Marvels vs Colombo Strikers: Fantasy XI Prediction, Teams, Captain, Toss & Venue Analysis

Colombo Strikers will take on Galle Marvels in Match 5 of the 2024 Lanka Premier League (LPL) in Pallekele on Wednesday. Both teams are in poor form having lost three of their previous five matches. Galle Marvels boast stars such as Alex Hales, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Maheesh Theekshana and Dwaine Pretorious while Colombo Strikers have Glenn Phillips, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Matheesha Pathirana in their ranks.

THE LIKELY PLAYING XI’S FOR GALLE MARVELS AND COLOMBO STRIKERS

GALLE MARVELS probably XI

Batsmen – Alex Hales, Sadisha Rajapaksa, Janith Liyanage

All-rounders – Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Dwaine Pretorius

Wicketkeeper –Bhanuka Rajapaksa

Bowlers – Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Malsha Tharupathi

COLOMBO STRIKERS probably XI

Batsmen – Glenn Phillips, Shehan Fernando, Kaveen Bandara

All-rounders – Dunith Wellalage, Thisara Perera, Shadab Khan, Angelo Perera

Wicketkeeper-Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Bowlers – Taskin Ahmed, Matheensha Pathirana, Binura Fernando

Statistical Performance (Galle Marvels)

1. Alex Hales

Alex Hales will be the main batsman for Galle. He is a devastating opening batsman who has played in almost every T20 league in the world. Hales has a strike rate of 150.8 in the powerplay in all T20s since 2022.

ALEX HALES IN T20’S SINCE 2023

2. Bhanuka Rajapaksa

Bhanuka Rajapaksa is an attacking middle-order batter who has represented Sri Lanka in 37 T20I matches. He is a veteran of 183 T20 matches in which he scored 3448 runs at an average of 23.1 and a strike rate of 135.9.

BHANUKA RAJAPAKSA IN LPL

Players who can make a difference (Galle Marvels)

1. Maheesh Theekshana

Maheesh Theekshana has taken 33 wickets in 28 LPL matches with an economy of just 6.75. He will be used as a wicket-taker in the powerplay. Theekshana is widely regarded as a mystery spinner and has played 49 T20Is for Sri Lanka in which he has taken 45 wickets with an economy of 6.7

2. Dwaine Pretorius

Dwaine Pretorius is a useful right-handed medium-fast bowler who has taken 46 wickets in 40 T20 matches with an impressive strike rate of 15 since 2023. He is also a good batsman down the order.

Statistical Performance (Colombo Strikers)

1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Rahmanullah Gurbaz was in scintillating form in the 2024 T20 World Cup and will be the fireworks for Colombo Strikers in the powerplay. Gurbaz scored 281 runs in 8 innings in the World Cup and was the highest run-getter of the tournament.

RAHMANULLAH GURBAZ IN T20’S SINCE 2023

2. Matheesha Pathirana

Matheesha Pathirana has taken 12 wickets in his eight LPL innings at a strike rate of 13.75, an economy rate of 8.76 and an average of 20.08. Pathirana is coming off a stellar IPL season where he returned with 13 wickets in just 6 matches at an average of 13 and a strike rate of 10.1. His ability to bowl yorkers makes him deadly in white-ball cricket.

MATHEESHA PATHIRANA IN LPL

Players who can make the difference (Colombo Strikers)

1. Binura Fernando

Binura Fernando has taken 28 wickets in 20 LPL innings at an average of 19 and a strike rate of 15.50, including one 4-wicket haul. He will pose problems for the right-handers.

2. Glenn Phillips

Glenn Phillips will be key for Colombo Strikers in the middle-order. Phillips has a fine record in T20I cricket with a total of 1875 in 69 innings at an average of 32.9 and a strike rate of 142.15. He is a devastating batter who can hit the boundary at will and has a strike rate of 208.1 in the death overs in all T20 cricket since 2023.

TEAM HEAD TO HEAD RECORD

Galle Marvels and Colombo Strikers have played 10 matches against each other since 2020, with Colombo emerging victorious and winning 6 of them.

GALLE MARVELS v COLOMBO STRIKERS – HEAD TO HEAD RECORD (LAST 10 MATCHES)

MATCHES GALLE WON COLOMBO WON NO RESULT

10 4 6 0

LOCATION AND PLACE

The wicket at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium offers a good match between bat and ball. Kandy chased Dambulla’s 179 with 16 balls to spare and six wickets in hand in the opening match of the season at Pallekele. The team batting second has won 22 of the 41 matches at Pallekele in all T20 cricket since the start of 2022. The captain who wins the toss has chosen to chase 24 times. The average score for batting first is 159/6, while the average score for batting second is 140/5 during this period. The probability of winning the match after winning the toss at Pallekele is 39%. The highest score at the venue is 240, while the average score is 161.

MATCH PREDICTION

Colombo Strikers start as favourites with a 60% chance of winning against Galle Marvels.

Fantasy XI

Wicketkeeper: Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Batsmen: Alex Hales (VC), Glenn Phillips, Sadisha Rajapaksa

All-rounders: Thisara Perera, Dwaine Pretorius, Isuru Udana, Dunith Wellalage

Bowlers: Binura Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana (centre)

BACKUP PLAYERS:

BATTLER – Shehan Fernando

BOWLER – Lahiru Kumara

ALL-ROUNDER – Jeffrey Vandersay