Major Asian countries had successful T20 leagues. But Sri Lanka was an exception for a long time.
The reality, however, changed in 2020 when Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) finally launched the Lanka Premier League (LPL). A total of five teams compete in the LPL.
And here’s a look at the winners of each LPL season.
Lanka Premier League Winners: Season by Season
| Season | Winners (Captain) | Runners-up (Captain) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Jaffna Stallions (Thisara Perera) | Galle Gladiators (Bhanuka Rajapaksa) |
| 2021 | Jaffna Kings (Thisara Perera) | Galle Gladiators (Bhanuka Rajapaksa) |
| 2022 | Jaffna Kings (Thisara Perera) | Colombo Stars (Angelo Mathews) |
| 2023 | B-Love Kandy (Angelo Mathews) | Dambulla Aura (Kusal Mendis) |
| 2024 | Jaffna Kings (Charith Asalanka) | Galle Marvels (Niroshan Dickwella) |
| 2026 | Galle Gallants (Dasun Shanaka) | Jaffna Kings (Bhanuka Rajapaksa) |
Check All T20 League Winners Here
Indian Premier League (IPL) Winners
The Hundred Men’s Competition Winners
Major League Cricket (MLC) Winners
Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Winners
Pakistan Super League (PSL) Winners
International League T20 (ILT20) Winners
Global Super League (GSL) Winners
Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) Winners
Lanka Premier League (LPL) Winners
Women’s Premier League (WPL) Winners
2020 | Jaffna Stallions
The inaugural LPL season saw Jaffna Stallions and Galle Gladiators compete in the final.
The Stallions won the toss and opted to bat first. A collective effort from their top order, especially captain Thisara Perera’s 39* off 14, helped them post 188 for 6.
In response, the Gladiators failed to take off. They were three down for seven runs.
While captain Bhanuka Rajapaksa (40 off 17) and Azam Khan (36 off 17) tried to fight back, other batters failed to stick around. The Stallions restricted the Gladiators to 135 for 9 to win the first LPL season.
2021 | Jaffna Kings
While Jaffna dropped Stallions from their name, they still remained the Kings in 2021.
Facing the Gladiators once again in the final, Jaffna scored 201 for 3. The Gladiators started well, with Danushka Gunathilaka smashing 54 off 21.
But once Gunathilaka departed, the Gladiators lost steam. And they could manage 178 for 9 to lose by 23 runs.
2022 | Jaffna Kings
Jaffna continued to rule the LPL for three consecutive seasons. They made a hat-trick of LPL titles in 2022. This time, they beat Colombo Stars convincingly.
The Kings asked the Stars to bat first and restricted them to 163 for 5. While the target wasn’t big, the Kings struggled in the chase.
With six needed off the last over, Thisara Perera smashed four on the first ball. Perera looked to finish it off with a big hit, but instead handed over a catch.
It seemed like there would be a twist, but the Kings won the final with two wickets in hand.
2023 | B-Love Kandy
2023 saw the first LPL final without a Jaffna-based team. Dambulla Aura and B-Love Kandy contested the final.
Dambulla elected to bat first, but didn’t get a good start. Kandy’s bowlers kept them in check as they mustered 147 for 4.
In response, Kandy had a steady start, being 94 for 2 in 12.4 overs. But then they slowed down to make things tricky towards the end.
With one needed off two balls, Lahiru Madushanka hit the winning boundary to crown B-Love Kandy the LPL 2023 winners.
2024 | Jaffna Kings
After missing out on the 2023 final, Jaffna Kings were back at their best in 2024. They stormed into their fourth final.
This time, they were up against Galle Marvels. After being put in to bat first, the Marvels scored 184 for 6. Bhanuka Rajapaksa scored 82 of those runs at a strike rate of 241.17.
Rajapaksa’s knock, though, went in vain, as Rilee Rossouw responded with an unbeaten 106 off 53 balls. Kisal Mendis also assisted with an unbeaten 72 off 40 to help the Kings chase down 185 in 15.4 overs.
2026 | Galle Gallants
The 2026 final saw another contest between Jaffna and Galle. Jaffna made it to the final despite so much happening off the ground. Galle, meanwhile, were equally good in the league stage.
Both also met in a high-scoring Qualifier 1, which Jaffna won by 14 runs. Galle then made their way to the final through Qualifier 2.
Now the final turned out exactly the opposite of Qualifier 1. Galle bowled out Jaffna for a mere 123 runs, thanks to Charith Asalanka (3/20) and Eshan Malinga (3/25).
In response, Galle had a poor start. But Dinura Kalupahan’s 31 and captain Dasun Shanaka’s 20* off nine balls helped them chase the target in 15.5 overs.
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