DHAKA: Sri Lanka defeated India by six wickets to lift their maiden World Twenty20 title in Dhaka on Sunday.
The Islanders restricted India to 130-4 after electing to field, and then cruised past the modest target with 13 deliveries to spare.
It was Sri Lanka’s first victory in five finals over the past seven years, having lost twice in the 50-over World Cup finals in 2007 and 2011, and the World Twenty20 finals in 2009 and 2012.
Left-hander Kumar Sangakkara, who was declared man of the match, remained unbeaten on 52 off 35 balls to take Sri Lanka home after their bowlers restricted the 2007 champions to 130 for four wickets. Sri Lanka reached their target with 13 balls to spare. Virat Kohli top-scored for India with 77 off 58 balls.
Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain Lasith Malinga won the toss in the World Twenty20 final in Dhaka on Sunday and sent India in to bat.
The start was delayed by 40 minutes due to rain, but was played over the full duration of 20-overs-a-side at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.
Sri Lanka’s T20 captain Dinesh Chandimal once again opted out of the game, as he had done in Thursday’s semi-final against the West Indies, leaving Malinga to lead the Islanders.
India managed a below-par total of 130-4 against Sri Lanka despite a brilliant half-century by Virat Kohli in the final of World Twenty20 in Dhaka on Sunday.
Kohli scored a 58-ball 77 for his eighth Twenty20 half-century, his fourth in this tournament.
The rain spiced up the pitch for bowlers but Kohli was at his best when he came to the crease after India lost Ajinkya Rahane (three) in Angelo Mathews’s second over of the innings.
Let off by Lasith Malinga at mid-wicket off left-arm spinner Rangana Herath’s first delivery when 11, Kohli took full advantage of the laspe by hitting five boundaries and four sixes before he was run out off the final delivery.
But apart from Kohli, none of the Indian batsmen could score at a faster pace against a disciplined Sri Lankan bowling attack.
Kohli added 60 for the second wicket with Rohit Sharma (29) and another 55 for the third with Yuvraj Singh who slowed down the tempo with a snail-paced 11 off 21 balls.
Sharma hit three boundaries during his 26-ball knock before he was caught off Herath who finished with 1-23 in his four overs.
India remained unchanged from the side which beat South Africa in the semi-final while Sri Lanka brought in Thisara Perera for Seekkuge Prasanna from the line-up which beat the West Indies in the first pre-final.
Squads
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma.
Sri Lanka: Lasith Malinga (capt), Kusal Perera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Sachithra Senanayake, Rangana Herath.
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
TV umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS)
Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
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