Galle Gallants face Colombo Kaps in Match 3 of LPL 2026, with Galle already a match into their campaign after opening the tournament against defending champions Jaffna Kings, while Colombo Kaps step out for the first time under entirely new ownership.
This is as fresh a fixture as the LPL schedule offers: Colombo’s franchise was rebuilt from the ground up after Sri Lanka Cricket terminated the old Colombo Strikers licence in 2025 over contractual breaches, with a new ownership group taking over and rebranding the side as Colombo Kaps for 2026. Galle, meanwhile, enter off the back of a genuine title push last season, having finished LPL 2024 as runners-up.
This preview covers squads, conditions at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, the head-to-head record between these two franchises, and our prediction for Match 3.
Galle Gallants vs Colombo Kaps – Details
Galle Giants began their LPL 2026 campaign with a 36-run victory over Jaffna Kings, while Colombo Kaps are set to kick off their season in the second match of the double-header at Colombo.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Match | 3rd Match, Galle Gallants vs Colombo Kaps |
| Tournament | Lanka Premier League 2026 (LPL, 6th edition) |
| Date | Saturday, 18 July 2026 |
| Venue | Sinhalese Sports Club Ground (SSC), Colombo |
| Time (India) | 7:30 PM IST |
Winning Odds for Galle Gallants vs Colombo Kaps
| Platform | GG Win Odds | CKP Win Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1xBet | 1.75 | 2.05 |
| 4rabet | 1.84 | 2.10 |
| BetVibe | 1.71 | 2.02 |
| Stake | 1.89 | 2.12 |
Galle Gallants & Colombo Kaps Squads for LPL 2026
Galle Gallants were bought by Gallant Sports and Media LLC in May 2026 and renamed from Galle Marvels, with Dasun Shanaka retained as captain. The squad has absorbed two late changes: Chris Lynn replaced Rassie van der Dussen in the overseas Icon slot on 11 July after the South African pulled out for personal reasons, and Nurul Hasan was added as injury cover after Litton Das was ruled out of the tournament on 14 July.
Colombo Kaps is the most rebuilt squad in the competition. After Sri Lanka Cricket terminated the old Colombo Strikers franchise in 2025, Witness Sports Alliance LLC acquired the licence and rebuilt the roster from scratch, headlined by pre-signings Kamindu Mendis, Ben McDermott, James Neesham and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, with Kusal Mendis installed as captain.
Galle Gallants
Dasun Shanaka (c), Charith Asalanka (vc), Eshan Malinga, Pramod Madushan, Lasith Croospulle, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Sahan Arachchige, Chamika Karunaratne, Tharindu Rathnayake, Dinura Kalupahana, Yuri Koththigoda, Kasun Rajitha, Sachindu Colombage, Chris Lynn, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mohammad Nawaz, Akif Javed, Sam Harper, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Virandeep Singh.
Colombo Kaps
Kusal Mendis (c), Kushal Bhurtel, Thanuka Dabare, Ben McDermott, Mohammad Haris, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Sharujan Shanmuganathan, Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, James Neesham, Wanuja Sahan, Movin Subasingha, Malsha Tharupathi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Binura Fernando, Hasan Mahmud, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Anthony Arul Pragasam, Milan Rathnayake, Jeffrey Vandersay.
Galle Gallants vs Colombo Kaps – Pitch & Weather Report
This match returns to the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground just hours after hosting Match 2, but under lights rather than in the afternoon a shift that brings dew into play as a factor it wasn’t earlier in the day.
Pitch Report
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Pitch Behaviour | SSC Ground plays true and batter-friendly early on, with the surface breaking up and offering increasing turn as the innings wears on one of the more spin-dependent venues on the LPL circuit. |
| Batting Conditions | International T20 totals here have historically been modest (first-innings average around 145-160), though recent domestic T20 cricket at the ground has trended higher, with totals past 165 becoming more common. |
| Bowling Assistance | Fast bowlers have generally shared wickets close to evenly with spinners across recent matches at this venue, but spin becomes the more dangerous option from the middle overs onward. |
| Toss & Dew Factor | This is a night match, and evening dew at Colombo venues in July can make the ball harder to grip for bowlers in the second innings, adding a chasing incentive that partly offsets SSC’s usual bat-first bias. |
Here’s a look at the weather conditions expected for the match.
Weather Report
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Temperature | Around 28°C at the start of play, dropping to roughly 26°C as the evening session progresses. |
| Weather | Colombo is in its wetter season through July, and cloudy, rain-prone conditions are common at this time of year. |
| Precipitation | A reasonable chance of rain around the ground; interruptions can’t be ruled out, though grounds in Colombo are generally well-equipped to resume quickly. |
| Humidity & Wind | High humidity, typically 80-85%, with a light westerly breeze of around 12-15 km/h. |
Galle vs Colombo – Head-to-Head in LPL History
Galle and Colombo have shared a closely contested rivalry in the Lanka Premier League, with the two franchises splitting their last four meetings 2-2. Colombo won the most recent encounter by seven wickets in July 2024, while Galle claimed the earlier meeting that season by seven runs.
| Matches | Galle Wins | Colombo Wins | No Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
Overall, Colombo hold a 6-4 advantage in the head-to-head record across the previous 10 LPL meetings, although Galle have won three of the last five contests, making this one of the league’s more evenly balanced rivalries.
Players to Watch for Galle Gallants vs Colombo Kaps
| Player | Reason |
|---|---|
| Dasun Shanaka (GAG) | Captains Galle Gallants and led the old Galle Marvels to the 2024 final; a proven finisher with the bat and a canny death bowling option. |
| Charith Asalanka (GAG) | Vice-captain and one of the squad’s most destructive batters, added at the draft to strengthen a top order that lost Litton Das to injury before the tournament began. |
| Chris Lynn (GAG) | Late replacement for Rassie van der Dussen in the overseas Icon slot, brought in just a week before the tournament for his power-hitting at the top of the order. |
| Kusal Mendis (CK) | Captains a fully rebuilt Colombo Kaps franchise in its first-ever match after last year’s ownership change, and is the side’s most experienced international batter. |
| Kamindu Mendis (CK) | Left-handed all-rounder who gives Colombo Kaps batting insurance through the middle order and a switch-hitting threat few bowlers plan for. |
| James Neesham (CK) | Overseas all-rounder who adds depth with both bat and ball for a Colombo unit built almost entirely from scratch this season. |
Winner Prediction
Galle Gallants head into the contest with momentum after opening their LPL 2026 campaign with a convincing 36-run victory over Jaffna Kings, showcasing both batting depth and an effective bowling attack.
Colombo Kaps, meanwhile, begin their campaign with a talented squad featuring Kamindu Mendis, Ben McDermott, James Neesham and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, but will be playing together competitively for the first time.
Galle Gallants start as slight favourites thanks to their winning start and settled combination, though Colombo have the quality to make it a closely fought contest.
