Preview
Galle Gladiators were the first to go public, they had a launch event in Pakistan and there were strong indicators that they want to build a solid franchise of Quetta Gladiators in Sri Lanka. LPL 2020 got a major boost when they named Shahid Afridi as their marquee player. Following the draft, they did have few issues with players pulling out & captain missing the flight. They will surely miss the Sri Lankan T20 super Star Lasith Malinga, but they do have a squad in place to commence their quest in ‘holding the fort’!
Best XI
- Dhanushka Gunathilaka
- Hazratullah Zazai*
- Chadwick Walton (wk)*
- Bhanuka Rajapakse
- Shehan Jayasuriya
- Milinda Siriwardane
- Shahid Afridi (C)*
- Akila Dananjaya
- Mohammed Amir*
- Asitha Fernando
- Lakshan Sandakan
With Shahid Afridi set to miss the first few games, Bhanuka Rajapakse will hold the reigns. The squad has a blend of experienced internationals as well as promising youngsters. The challenge for Gladiators will be to get their permutations and combinations right, given that they are a bit light on their international stars and pace bowling fronts, with Malinga pulling out of the tournament.
Batting
Gladiators’ top order will be tested, with Gunathilake coming into the side short of big match practice & Zazai is not the most consistent opener. It will be interesting to see how Chadwick Walton adapts to the conditions. Comparatively their middle order is strong with Rajapaske, Jayasuriya, Siriwardene & Afridi bringing in skills as well as experience.
On their day, Gladiators are capable of dominating any side with their batting fire power. If the top order provide them with good starts, Gladiators will set the place on fire with their Fire power.
Bowling
One of the biggest weaknesses of the Gladiators squad is the lack of experiences fast bowlers, sans Amir. A lot will depend on Amir and the local youngster Asitha Fernando will surely be tested. Bhanuka Rajapakse might roll his arm but its doubtful whether he will take the new ball as he did in the Army Officers T20 Tournament. Bowling during overs 15 to 20 will be a major challenge for Gladiators with only Amir coming in with experience and reputation for death bowling. They will surely miss Malinga!
Contrastingly, they have probably the strongest spin bowling attack apart from Jaffna. Afridi will need to lead the attack using all his experience, with Lakshan Sandakan tends to be expensive and Akila Dananjaya making a come back after the international ban. Jayasuriya & Siriwardene too are capable of rolling their arms. If everything falls into place, this spin attack will be hard to get away.
Local Stars
When it comes to local talent, Gladiators will not have the luxury of stable locals with international experience. Even though most of the local players in the best XI has represented Sri Lanka, most of them were unable to cement their place due to injuries, lack of performances and other reasons. But this tournament provides a great opportunity for most of these local players to stamp their authority and make a comeback to the side. For that, they will need to put up consistent performances which will be a challenge, given the profiles of some players.
Nevertheless, they will not lack the X-Factor. On their day, Gunathilaka can take any attack to cleaners, Rajapakse can dominate any opposition, while Akila & Sandakan can spin any opposition out of competition. The slinga Malinga’s X-Factor will be certainly missed but Gladiators will be hoping for their local stars to come good, given the deficiencies in the international stars front.
International Stars
Gladiators will be banking on the experience and skills of Afridi & Amir, and they’d really love to have few experienced, proven international stars. Walton & Zazai must be their best selves if Gladiators are to be successful in the tournament. Consistency again will remain a major challenge and if the 2 most experienced players are unable to perform consistently, Gladiators will struggle to progress to the Semi Final stage.
Afridi, Amir, Chadwick & Zazai are all capable of changing the game, but will the be able to consistently be the X-Factor? We will see in the next few weeks.
Tournament is critical for…
Bhanuka Rajapakse- After a successful Pakistan tour in 2019, fans would have expected him to be a regular in the Sri Lanka T20 starting line up. But unfortunately, selectors had other thoughts so he is back in the wilderness. This tournament is critical for Rajapakse to make a brand for himself, and prove his worth to both local and global franchise selectors. Given that Gladiators will need something special to progress, can Rajapakse stamp his authority?
Akila Dananjaya– Making a comeback after remodeling his bowling action, Dananjaya will hope that he hasn’t lost his mojo. Will he continue to get big spin and will his doosra be effective as it was? Sri Lanka will be watching with keen interest.
Critical Success Factors
- Middle & lower middle order batting – Given the fragile top order, a lot will depend on the likes of Rajapakse, Jayasuriya, Siriwardene & Afridi. They need to be consistent and hope the top order will provide decent starts
- Diverse spin attack- Afridi’s fast leg breaks, Dananjaya’s big off spins, Sandakan’s chinamans and Jayasuriya’s wicket to wicket darts, they do have a diverse spin attack on paper. Gladiators will need them to dominate oppositions, given the dearth in their pace options
IPL Comparator
Delhi Capitals (not the IPL 2020 version)- High Impact local & international players, and a diverse spin bowling attack
Tournament Prediction
- Best Ranking- 3
- Worst Ranking- 5
The first hurdle is the qualify for the Semi Final stage. Given that Kings, Tuskers and Stallions are in good shape, Gladiators will need to fight for that last Semi Final spot with Viikings.
About the Author
Dileepa Peiris is an ardent Cricket fan and has a keen interest for cricket analytics. Having come from a Management Consulting background, Dileepa is currently employed at a Technology giant in Singapore.
