Hendricks Leads Dambulla to Early LPL 2026 Win Over Kandy

Reeza Hendricks' 87 in the opening match gives Dambulla an early tournament advantage that will be tested by a quick turnaround.

Overview

Dambulla Sixers beat Kandy in the LPL opener after Reeza Hendricks scored 87 from 50 balls, a performance reported across multiple outlets following the July 18 match.
Both teams arrived with star-studded squads: Kandy lists players such as Angelo Mathews, Kusal Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga and Shaheen Afridi while Dambulla features Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella, Maheesh Theekshana and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
The Sinhalese Sports Club pitch is described as generally batting-friendly but gives new-ball help to pace bowlers and later turn to spinners, a mix that shapes captaincy and toss strategy.
Broadcasters across the region will carry LPL action, with Star Sports/FanCode cited for India, PEO TV/SLTMobitel for Sri Lanka, Sky Sports/talkSPORT in the UK and Willow TV in the United States.
Pre-match previews split on the likely winner and published head-to-head records differ, and Dambulla's quick rematch with Jaffna Kings on July 19 will test whether Hendricks' form establishes sustained momentum.