Allirajah Subaskaran: The Jaffna Kings

Lyca Group founder Allirajah Subaskaran is also the proud owner of the Jaffna Kings, the celebrated Sri Lankan cricket team that won the Lanka Premier League (LPL) tournament in 2022. Looking forward to 2023, Allirajah Subashkaran will no doubt be incredibly excited for the new season as a passionate advocate for the sport of cricket.

This article will explore the Jaffna Kings’ history and accomplishments in more detail, looking at some of the squad’s star players.

Led by team captain Thisara Perera and coached by Thilina Kandamby, a former Sri Lanka national team captain, the Jaffna Kings are also known as the ‘Kings of The North’. Owned by Allirajah Subaskaran and directed by Ganeshan Vaheesan, the Kings’ colours are blue and gold. Founded just three years ago as the Jaffna Stallions, the team changed its name to the Jaffna Kings in September 2021 following a change of ownership.

The Jaffna Kings’ most celebrated players include Shoaib Malik, who served as captain of the Pakistan national team from 2007 to 2009 and made history as the first male cricketer to play 100 T20ls. Malik was signed by the Jaffna Kings for the third edition of the LPL in July 2022.

Meanwhile, left-handed off-break Afif Hossain entered the record books at the tender age of 17, becoming the youngest bowler to take a T20 five-wicket haul in his debut game in December 2016, playing for the Rajshahi Kings. The Bangladeshi batting all-rounder was selected for Bangladesh’s Twenty20 International squad in 2018 and is known as a big-hitter.

Dunith Wellalage served as captain of Sir Lanka’s Under-19 team in the Cricket World Cup in the West Indies in 2022. In Sri Lanka’s opening match, Wellalage took a five-wicket haul, earning him recognition as player of the match. In the following fixture, he took another five-wicket haul and was subsequently named player of the match once again. Dunith Wellalage was signed by the Jaffna Kings in July 2022, making his test debut in a match against Pakistan on 24^th July 2022.

Jaffna Kings captain Thisara Perera is a former Sri Lanka international cricketer who played for the national team in all formats. Primarily a bowling all-rounder, Perera is also an aggressive left-handed batsman capable of hitting big sixes in death overs. He is also a useful right-arm medium-fast bowler, having played franchise T20 cricket in numerous leagues all around the world.

In 2022, the Jaffna Kings clinched their third LPL title, beating the Colombo Stars by two wickets. The Kings scooped the final after winning the toss and opting to field first.

Batting first at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, the Colombo Stars posted a competitive total of 163/5 in 20 overs, with solid performances from top batters Dinesh Chandimal, Charith Asalanka and Ravi Bopara. However, despite a shaky start that saw them lose a few early wickets, the Jaffna Kings soon upped the ante, with Avishka Fernando steadying the innings with an impressive knock of 50 runs from 43 balls. Fernando was well supported by Sadeera Samarawickrama in the middle, paving the way for the Kings to turn the tide, winning the tense final by two wickets – with the victory earning the Jaffna Kings their third LPL title. In a tweet after the final, the LPL congratulated both sides for a ‘breathtaking battle’.

Looking forward, the Jaffna Kings will start the 2023 season headed up once more by captain Thisara Perera, no doubt seeking to make a splash as a hotly tipped favourite in the LPL tournament.