Opener Avishka Fernando's 41-ball 63 in the final of the Lanka Premier League 2021 helped Jaffna Kings lift the trophy by beating Galle Gladiators by 23 runs.

Jaffna Kings ended up at the top spot in the Lanka Premier League 2021 points table with 6 wins and 2 losses from their 8 matches of the league.

They were facing tough competitors in Galle Gladiators in the final who had some big names in their ranks. The two teams had already met in Qualifier 1 where Galle Gladiators thumped Jaffna Kings by as many as 64 runs.

Avishka Fernando came out to open the batting for Jaffna Kings alongside Afghanistan's young dynamo Rahmanullah Gurbaz and added 56 runs for the opening partnership within the powerplay.

After the dismissal of Gurbaz, Fernando had a brilliant partnership with England import Tom Kohler-Cadmore. Fernando went on to make 63 runs from just 41 balls with 8 boundaries and 2 sixes as he maintained a strike rate of over 150, helping his team to a mammoth total of 201.

In reply, Galle Gladiators, despite their best efforts, could only reach 178 as Jaffna Kings succeeded in winning the final by 23 runs and laying their lands on the Lanka Premier League 2021 trophy.

The Sri Lankan opener finished the competition as the second-highest run-scorer with 312 runs from 10 matches at an average of almost 35 and a strike rate of 152.94.

A terrific knock by young Avishka Fernando! Glad to see him returning to form with a blistering century. This is exactly what’s expected of #LPLT20, providing a platform for players to show what they are capable of. Congratulations to him! @KingsJaffna @LPLT20 @OfficialSLC pic.twitter.com/IwhYmbWdkh

— Namal Rajapaksa (@RajapaksaNamal) December 21, 2021

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