Lahiru Udara, Charith Asalanka and Eshan Malinga headline the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 Team of the Tournament after a league phase defined by heavy-hitting batting tracks and dramatic, high-scoring encounters across Colombo, Dambulla, and Pallekele. The sixth edition of the tournament saw franchise rebrands, last-minute squad changes, and the debut of the Under-23 player rule. This XI is selected based on statistical dominance, tactical flexibility, and impact value.
Lahiru Udara (Kandy Royals)
Inns: 9 | Runs: 434 | SR: 159.55 | Ave: 54.25
Top-scorer and the absolute standout batter of the tournament - and doing so despite his team being knocked out in the Eliminator. Across nine innings, he only failed to enter double-digits once, passing 50 five times, including a tremendous 132* off 63 in a successful chase of 209. At 32, Udara is certainly no spring chicken, but having barely moved the needle in his previous five LPL seasons, the diminutive opener has belatedly joined the T20 party topping the boundary charts with 51 fours and 18 sixes.
Sam Harper (Galle Gallants)
Inns: 11 | Runs: 425 | SR: 163.46 | Ave: 38.63
Playing his first season of the LPL, Harper hit the ground running for Galle Gallants at the top of the order. The Australian combined a healthy average with a blistering strike rate, routinely exploiting the powerplay to give Gallants consistently flying starts. He has also been a safe pair of hands behind the stumps. He flopped in Gallants' final win, but his 77 in Qualifier 2 was instrumental in them getting there.
Kamil Mishara (Jaffna Kings)
Inns: 11 | Runs: 411 | SR: 165.06 | Ave: 51.37
Mishara's batting is all about intent, and this season - his first in the LPL - his high-impact contributions kept Jaffna Kings afloat through a campaign shadowed by off-field ownership controversies. As per Cricinfo's batting impact index, his 469.77 points are only behind that of Charith Asalanka (499.67). Such was his consistency, even as all those around him floundered in the final, he managed a 32-ball 41. He is also a ball magnet in the field, having completed ten catches.
Charith Asalanka (Galle Gallants)
Inns: 11 | Runs: 385 | SR: 153.38 | Ave: 38.50
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Charith Asalanka might be the forgotten man as far as the Sri Lankan national team is concerned but he showcased why he was the captain of the national side not too long ago, marshalling the middle order for Gallants with typical poise and flair. His run-scoring was consistent right up until the final, but it was his bowling that came in clutch, picking up five wickets across the Qualifier 2 and the final. Three Player-of-the-Match awards, including one in the final, cements his position as the Cricinfo MVP.
Kamindu Mendis (Colombo Kaps)
Inns: 10 | Runs: 280 | SR: 160.91 | Ave: 31.11
Kamindu Mendis slots into the spine of the middle order after a stellar campaign rescuing Colombo Kaps from early collapses. His elite spin-handling capabilities and precise execution in the death overs have made him an automatic selection for the tournament's XI. And the added pressure of captaincy, having taken over after the early injury to Kusal Mendis, seems to have only sharpened his focus. His unbeaten 88 off 39 against Dambulla Sixers is a strong contender for the innings of the tournament.
Towhid Hridoy (Jaffna Kings)
Inns: 5 | Runs: 151 runs | SR: 198.68 | Ave: 75.50
He came, he saw, he nearly conquered. Drafted in late as a replacement for Taskin Ahmed, Hridoy flipped a switch for Kings. His five innings since joining in late read: 35*, 31*, 21, 54* and 10. All of which came at quite a stupendous strike rate. Despite playing just five games, his scorching cameos injected raw impetus into Kings' middle order and catapulted them to the final.
Dunith Wellalage (Jaffna Kings)
Inns: 8 | Runs: 162 | SR: 128.57 | Wkts: 14 | Econ: 7.38 | Ave: 16.5
Operating as the primary left-arm orthodox option, Wellalage was an absolute menace on the wearing tracks of Dambulla and Pallekele. Snaring 14 scalps - the most by a spinner in the tournament - he acted as Kings' premier defensive and attacking weapon in tandem. He has also offered useful runs lower down the order, including a fighting 56 off 39 in a losing cause against Gallants.
Wanuja Sahan (Colombo Kaps)
Inns: 10 | Wkts: 9 | Econ: 6.3 | Ave: 23.11
A total revelation for Kaps, the 23-year-old left-arm spinner was the most economical bowler across the tournament. His Player-of-the-Match spell of 2 for 8 in the high-stakes Eliminator against Kandy Royals was the joint-second-most economical four-over spell in LPL history. He adds explosive utility with the bat too, having smashed an unbeaten 34 off just 15 balls earlier in the season.
Eshan Malinga (Galle Gallants)
Inns: 10 | Wkts: 17 | Econ: 9.32 | Ave: 19.29
The gold standard for pace bowling in LPL 2026, his three wickets in the final crippled Kings, and ensured there would be no late fightback. It also ensured his place at the top of the wicket-taking charts, and solidified his growing reputation as a bowler able to remain competitive in flat-track shootouts.
Lizaad Williams (Jaffna Kings)
Inns: 8 | Wkts: 16 | Econ: 9.60 | Ave: 17.00
Williams led the tournament charts right up until the final, where he was pipped by Malinga. Troubling opening batters in the powerplay and using subtle variations at the death, the South African's 16 wickets have come at a metronomic pace too, with a minimum of two wickets per game - only a wicketless outing in the final playing spoiler.
Nuwan Thushara (Kandy Royals)
Inns: 9 | Wkts: 14 | Econ: 8.91 | Ave: 22.28
Responding to adversity in style after being denied an IPL NOC on fitness grounds, Thushara bowled with venom for Royals. He recorded a masterful 4 for 29 against Sixers and finished the season comfortably as the second-most impactful bowler in the entire competition with 292 points in Cricinfo's bowling impact list. Meanwhile, his slinging, pinpoint yorkers proved that his defensive bowling remains elite under pressure.