Jaffna Kings (Tamil: யாழ்ப்பாணம் கிங்ஸ்), formerly known as Jaffna Stallions, is a Sri Lankan franchise cricket team which plays in the Lanka Premier League (LPL). The Kings are the current title holders of the tournament.
| Nickname | Kings of The North | |
|---|---|---|
| League | Lanka Premier League | |
| Personnel | ||
| Captain | Bhanuka Rajapaksha | |
| Coach | Thilina Kandamby | |
| Owner | Sports Commune | |
| Team information | ||
| City | Jaffna, Northern Province, Sri Lanka | |
| Colours | Blue Gold | |
| Founded | 2020: Jaffna Stallions 2021: Jaffna Kings | |
| History | ||
| LPL wins | 4 (2020, 2021, 2022, 2024) | |
| ||
The team was coached by former Sri Lankan captain Thilina Kandamby.[1] Thisara Perera was the team's captain for the first four seasons.[2]
Franchise history
edit2020 season
editThe team was owned by a consortium consisting of Sri Lankans and Indians from all over the world including Australia, Canada, France, United Kingdom, and the USA.[3] Arnold Anandan and Rahul Sood, creator of Microsoft Ventures M12, were leading the consortium of tech industry leaders from the Pacific Northwest and Silicon Valley.[4][5] Among others, Rahul Sood was cited as a tech leader from the Seattle area who is investing in cricket, where the Jaffna Stallions also announced a global education partnership with Code.org.[6] As part of their outreach to the country of Sri Lanka the Jaffna Stallions released a song in partnership with famous artists La Signore, aka Lahiru Perera, and Dinesh Gamage, the song contains lyrics in both Sinhalese and Tamil and it's now trending at the top of the charts in Sri Lanka.[7][8]
On 16 December 2020, the team won the inaugural Lanka Premier League Championship.[9] The team captain Thisara Perera and Shoaib Malik both played pivotal roles in the win.[10]
2021 season
edit2022 season
edit2023 season
edit2024 season
edit2026 season
editIn April 2025, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced that franchise owners Lyca Group had been terminated ahead of the 2025 Lanka Premier League due to their failure to fulfill the obligations of a team owner in the Lanka Premier League.[13]
Prior to the player draft in 2026, the franchise was brought by Sports Commune, led by Indian sports entrepreneurs Manjot Karla and Mayank Goel. Before the players' draft, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shakib Al Hasan, Taskin Ahmed and Dunith Wellalage were signed by the Kings as pre-draft signings.
Current squad
edit| No. | Name | Nat. | Date of birth | Batting style | Bowling style | Year signed | Salary (US$) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batters | ||||||||
| 28 | Avishka Fernando |  |
5 April 1998 (aged 28) | Right handed | Right-arm off break | 2026 | 50,000 | Local Platinum |
| 54 | Bhanuka Rajapaksa | |
24 October 1991 (aged 34) | Left handed | Right-arm medium fast | 2026 | 80,000 | Local Icon |
| 18 | Ibrahim Zadran |  |
12 December 2001 (aged 24) | Right handed | Right-arm medium fast | 2026 | 30,000 | Overseas Gold |
| 27 | Nuwanidu Fernando | |
13 October 1999 (aged 26) | Right handed | Right-arm off break | 2026 | 20,000 | Local Classic |
| Wicket-keepers | ||||||||
| 42 | Kamil Mishara | |
24 April 2001 (aged 25) | Left handed | Right-arm off break | 2026 | 30,000 | Local Gold |
| 24 | Nishan Madushka | |
10 September 1999 (aged 26) | Right handed | — | 2026 | 30,000 | Gold Optional |
| All-rounders | ||||||||
| 45 | Dipendra Singh Airee |  |
24 January 2000 (aged 26) | Right handed | Right-arm off break | 2026 | 15,000 | Overseas Associate Star |
| 75 | Shakib Al Hasan |  |
24 March 1987 (aged 39) | Left handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | 2026 | 80,000 | Overseas Icon |
| 9 | Dunith Wellalage | |
9 January 2003 (aged 23) | Left handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | 2026 | 60,000 | Local Star |
| 96 | David Wiese |  |
18 May 1985 (aged 41) | Right handed | Right-arm medium fast | 2026 | 50,000 | Overseas Platinum |
| 22 | Chamindu Wickramasinghe | |
6 September 2002 (aged 23) | Left handed | Right-arm medium fast | 2026 | 20,000 | Local Classic |
| Spin bowlers | ||||||||
| 25 | Sandeep Lamichhane | |
2 August 2000 (aged 25) | Right handed | Right-arm leg break | 2026 | 20,000 | Overseas Classic |
| Traveen Mathew | |
14 June 2004 (aged 22) | Right handed | Right-arm off break | 2026 | 30,000 | Local Gold | |
| Praveen Maneesha | |
12 November 2005 (aged 20) | Right handed | Right-arm leg break | 2026 | 10,000 | Emerging U23 | |
| Pace bowlers | ||||||||
| 3 | Taskin Ahmed | |
3 April 1995 (aged 31) | Left handed | Right-arm fast | 2026 | Overseas Star | |
| 98 | Dilshan Madushanka | |
18 September 2000 (aged 25) | Right handed | Left-arm fast medium fast | 2026 | 30,000 | Local Gold |
| 50 | Lizaad Williams |  |
1 October 1993 (aged 32) | Left handed | Right-arm medium fast | 2026 | 20,000 | Overseas Classic |
| 41 | Mohamed Shiraz | |
13 February 1995 (aged 31) | Right handed | Right-arm medium fast | 2026 | 20,000 | Local Classic |
| Kugathas Mathulan | |
3 May 2007 (aged 19) | Right handed | Right-arm medium fast | 2026 | 10,000 | Emerging U23 | |
| Source(s) | ThePapare, Inside Sport & Sri Lanka Cricket[14][15][16] | ||||||||
Administration and support staff
edit| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Director | Ganeshan Vaheesan |
| Manager | Charinda Fernando |
| Head coach | Thilina Kandamby |
| Assistant coach | Mario Villavarayan |
| Assistant coach | Hemang Badani |
| Batting coach | Jehan Mubarak |
| Bowling coach | Sachith Pathirana |
| Fielding coach | Vimukthi Deshapriya |
History
edit| Season | Head coach | Assistant coach |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Thilina Kandamby |
Mario Villavarayan |
| 2021 | ||
| 2022 | ||
| 2023 | ||
| 2024 | Avishka Gunawardene | |
| 2026 | Thilina Kandamby |
Seasons
editStatistics
editBy season
editIndividual records
editCaptains
edit| No. | Player | From | To | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thisara Perera | 2020 | 2023 | 45 | 28 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 61.64 |
| 2 | Charith Asalanka | 2024 | 2024 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 63.63 |
Most runs
edit- As of 13 May 2025
| Runs | Player | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| 1300 | Avishka Fernando | 2020–2022; 2024 |
| 674 | Shoaib Malik | 2020–2023 |
| 640 | Thisara Perera | 2020–2023 |
| 607 | Rahmanullah Gurbaz | 2021–2023 |
| 389 | Rilee Rossouw | 2024 |
- Source: CricInfo[18]
Highest individual score
edit- As of 19 August 2023
| Runs | Player | Opposition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | Avishka Fernando | Dambulla Giants | Hambantota | 21 December 2021 |
| 97* | Thisara Perera | Dambulla Viiking | 30 November 2020 | |
| 92* | Avishka Fernando | Galle Gladiators | 27 November 2020 | |
| 92 | Tom Kohler-Cadmore | Colombo Stars | Colombo | 16 December 2021 |
| 84 | Avishka Fernando | Galle Gladiators | Hambantota | 3 December 2020 |
- Source: CricInfo[19]
Most career wickets
edit- As of 19 August 2023
| Wickets | Player | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | Maheesh Theekshana | 2020–2023 |
| 28 | Wanindu Hasaranga | 2020–2021 |
| 22 | Vijayakanth Viyaskanth | 2020–2023 |
| 16 | Dunith Wellalage | 2022–2023 |
| 15 | Multiple players | |
- Source: CricInfo[20]
Best figures in an innings
edit- As of 19 August 2023
| Figures | Player | Opposition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/10 | Dunith Wellalage | Galle Titans | Pallekele | 4 August 2023 |
| 4/13 | Jayden Seales | Colombo Stars | Colombo | 16 December 2021 |
| 4/16 | Chathuranga de Silva | Dambulla Giants | 13 December 2021 | |
| 4/22 | Binura Fernando | Dambulla Aura | Pallekele | 11 December 2022 |
| 4/25 | Maheesh Theekshana | Colombo Stars | Colombo | 10 December 2021 |
- Source: CricInfo[21]
Team identity
editAnthem
edit| Year | Anthem | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Vaadaa Machan | Lahiru Perera, Dinesh Gamage |
| 2022 | Adidaa Macha | Hana Shafa, Satheeshan, Krish Manoj |
Kit manufacturers and sponsors
edit| Year | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor (front) | Shirt sponsor (back) | Chest branding | Sleeve branding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Jura Trading | BBK Partnership | Code.org | Zestige, Pro You™ | |
| 2021 | Lyca Mobile | Cycle Incense | NLB | Cycle Incense | |
| 2022 | SkyExch | N/a | Lyca Mobile | ||
| 2023 | 1xBet | Wolf777 | Batbricks7 | SBC TV, Lyca Mobile | |
| 2024 | MelBat | MGlion News | N/a | Monara TV, Jumbo365 | |
Honours
editReferences
edit- ↑ Sanyal, S. (21 October 2020). "LPL 2020: The complete player lists for all Lanka Premier League franchises". Sportskeeda. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ↑ "Cricket: Gayle, du Plessis, Afridi among marquee names picked in Lanka Premier League draft". scroll.in. 19 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ↑ Jaffna Stallions (19 November 2020). "Jaffna Stallions Team Page". Jaffna Stallions.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "Founder of Microsoft Ventures Rahul Sood joins Jaffna Stallions as co-owner". Lanka Business Online. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
- ↑ "Jaffna Stallions cricket team a winner for Calgary-born co-founder Rahul Sood". North Shore News. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ↑ "Seattle tech leaders including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella are investing in cricket teams". GeekWire. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "La Signore ft Dinesh - Vaadaa Machan | வாடா மச்சான் (Jaffna Stallions Theme Song) - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "Jaffna Boys". Jaffna Boys. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "Stallions win first ever LPL title". Jaffna Stallions. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ↑ "Shoaib Malik powers Jaffna Stallions to inaugural LPL title win". CricketTimes.com. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ↑ "LPL terminates one more franchise". CricBuzz. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- ↑ "Lyca Group Chairman Allirajah Subaskaran new owner of Jaffna Kings". DailyFT. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
- ↑ "SLC terminates Jaffna Kings and Colombo Strikers ahead of LPL 2025". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
- ↑ Kanishka Sanjeewa (1 June 2026). "Full LPL 2026 Squads Following the Player Draft". ThePapare. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ Naman Jain (2 June 2026). "All LPL 2026 squads after Lanka Premier League draft". Inside Sport. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ "LPL 2026: Final Squads". Sri Lanka Cricket. 2 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ "Lanka Premier League Cricket Team and Records | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "Most career runs". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ↑ "Highest individual score". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ↑ "Most career wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ↑ "Best bowling figures in an innings". Retrieved 20 October 2020.