World T20 final highlights: Kumar Sangakkara takes Sri Lanka to maiden title win

Kumar Sangakkara's unbeaten knock of 52 helped Sri Lanka beat India in the World T20 final to win their maiden title. Catch all highlights here (Scorecard | Commentary | Match report):

Lasith Malinga: I was really lucky to captain in the last three games. Today, we thought it was Sanga and Mahela's farewell match.. the boys thought we needed to do it for them. Last few overs we bowled really well. Me, Kula and Sachithra. Mahela and Sanga are world-class bowlers and it was a good opportunity for us to be able to play with them. They are still playing Tests and ODIs and the younger players need to pick all that they can from the two

 

MS Dhoni: We could have always got those 10-15 runs, but cricket is about those runs. The last four overs they executed their plans very well and for our side that doesn't play scoops well, that worked for them. Malinga with that slingy action kept bowling it wide. It was a perfect game for them. Virat has been brilliant in the last few years. He is someone who makes most of the opportunity. The good thing is that he plays authentic shots and still scores runs. He is got a bright future ahead of them

Man of the Match Virat Kohli: Congratulations to the Sri Lankan team, especially Mahela and Sanga. Darren was right, the god was really smiling on them. But they deserved this, they played really well. Last T20 WC, I tried to do my bit, but this time around I tried to make the most of the good form. The most pleasing thing was that we made it to the finals. Some people talk about that I can't score in the first innings..  but Malinga bowled very well in the last few overs. It was one of the off days. SL bowled in brilliant areas. Our boys can be proud of the way we played this tournament.

 

Man of the Match Kumar Sangakkara: It's been a long time coming... we waited five finals. Pretty happy I was able to do something for our team. It means a lot to all of us. We are very humbled by this. The way Kohli was batting, he was about to take the game away from us, but the way we bowled was brilliant. It was an all-round performance, led by Lasith, Angelo had an amazing tournament. India are a tough side, but we are happy to be in the winning side. My family and playing for Sri Lanka are the two most important things that happened to me in my life. Everyone's got to go and my time is now.

Angelo Mathews: Sri Lanka this is for you. I am glad the whole team did it for Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.

 

Mahela Jayawardene: We finally managed to break the jinx. Thanks so much to family and friends but this one is for SL fans who have been waiting since 1996. It wasn't a normal match. Lot of emotions as this was the last T20. It hasn't sunk in yet and it will take a couple of days to get the feeling.

Sanath Jayasuriya: The bowling was superb and then both Mahela and Sanga batted very well. Restricting them to 130 was the key. Even though we lost a few wickets early on, Mahela and Sanga are big game players.

 

Tillakaratne Dilshan: Last five world cups we lost them, but today is a great feeling to come back and win it. Today one of the three guys put their head up to do something for the team. Fantastic win for Sri Lanka. Good farewell for two happy guys.

 

21.55 (IST): Kumar Sangakkara guides Sri Lanka to maiden title win! A six-wicket win over neighbours India takes Sri Lanka to

21.52 (IST): SIX and DROPPED! It's all happening here! Thisara Perera first tonks Mishra for a six over deep mid-wicket. He follows it up with another attempt but the leading edge goes high in the air and Rahane attempts a running catch but fails to hold on to it.

21.49 (IST): 100 up for Sri Lanka. A deft touch from Kumar Sangakkara guides the ball to the fine leg fence, off Ashwin (Sri Lanka 102/4 in 15.2 overs)

21.46 (IST): A crucial over for Lanka here! Sangakkara and Perera collect 14 runs from it. Sri Lanka 98/4 in 15 overs, need 33 runs to win from 30 balls.

21.42 (IST): Massive SIX! Thisara Perera picks up a full Mishra delivery and slams it over long on for a six. (Sri Lanka 92/4 in 14.2 overs)

 

21.37 (IST): OUT! Sri Lanka lose their fourth wicket. Lahiru Thirimanne (7) is gone, caught behind by MS Dhoni off Amit Mishra (Sri Lanka 78/4 in 12.3 overs)

21.31 (IST): OUT! Mahela Jayawardene's final T20I innings has come to an end as he is caught by Ashwin off Raina. The legend apologizes to his partner Sangakkara as he walks off (Sri Lanka 65/3 in 9.5 overs)

21.25 (IST): Ravindra Jadeja comes into the attack and Sangakkara goes after him and picks up 11 runs including a six and four. (Sri Lanka 58/2 in 9 overs)

21.16 (IST): OUT! Dilshan is gone! Is there anything Virat can do wrong on a cricket field? Not for the moment! Dilshan misreads Ashwin's carom ball and attemps a slog-sweep. A top-edge travels towards the square-leg fence where Kohli took a very well-judged catch. (Sri Lanka 41/2 in 5.5 overs)

21.14 (IST): Ravichandran Ashwin comes into the attack. He starts from round the stumps with a leg-slip in place. (Sri Lanka 37/1 in 5 overs)

21.11 (IST): Boundaries are coming thick and fast here. There seems to be some pace in the wicket. A bit of extra pace from Bhuvneshwar and the ball flew off the edge of Jayawardene's to the third man fence. (Sri Lanka 37/1 in 4.5 overs)

21.08 (IST): Dilshan gets a much needed move on, scoring three boundaries off Mohit Sharma. Fifteen runs from it (Sri Lanka 27/1 in 4 overs)

21.01 (IST): FOUR! Tillakaratne Dilshan gets a much-needed boundary as it runs away to the fine-leg fence off his pads (Sri Lanka 12/1 in 2.2 overs)

20.59 (IST): A very good over from Mohit Sharma there. A wicket to start with and just three runs from it. (Sri Lanka 8/1 in 2 overs)

20.54 (IST): Kusal Perera goes! What a start for India while defending a low total. Perera got a boundary in the first over but is gone first ball off the second over from Mohit Sharma. Kusal tried to cut a ball that wasn't short enough and a leading edge goes to Jadeja at mid-off (Sri Lanka 5/1 in 1.1 overs)

20.40 (IST): This Indian innings has been about two aspects: Virat Kohli and the rest of the team. It was as if Kohli was batting on a completely different wicket from the rest. India's 130 in 20 overs is divided into Kohli's 77 off 58 balls and the rest, 47 off 62 balls.

 

20.36 (IST): An excellent final over from perhaps, the best death bowler in this format, Lasith Malinga helps restrict India to a modest total despite Virat Kohli's knock off 77 runs from 58 balls.

20.35 (IST): India reach 130/4 in 20 overs vs Sri Lanka.

20.24 (IST): OUT! Yuvraj Singh's miserable stay at the wicket comes to an end as he hits a delivery from Kulasekara to Thisara Perera at long-off. (India 119/3 in 18.1 overs)

20.20 (IST): While Kohli continues to bat like it's a usual day in the office, Yuvraj Singh (11 off 20 balls) is struggling at the other end (India 119/2 in 18 overs)

20.14 (IST): India collect 16 runs from Nuwan Kulasekara's over (India 111/2 in 16 overs)

20.06 (IST): Kohli welcomes back Kulasekara with a big heave for a six over deep mid-wicket as India go past the three-figure mark (India 101/2 in 15.1 overs)

20.05 (IST): Here's how Kohli has got his runs so far:

 

 

20.04 (IST): FIFTY for Virat Kohli! His eighth in T20Is. A hard-working innings from the in-form batsman. (India 93/2 in 14 overs)

20.00 (IST): Rangana Herath's spell comes to an end. He has conceded 23 runs and picked up a wicket in his four overs. (India 83/2 in 13 overs)

19.56 (IST): SIX! Virat Kohli hits a straight, flat six off Rangana Herath to move into the 40s. (India 79/2 in 12.1 overs)

19.53 (IST): Rohit Sharma is gone! He is caught by Sachitra Senanayake at covers off Rangana Herath. (India 64/2 in 10.3 overs)

19.48 (IST): Angelo Mathews' four-over spell comes to an end. He finishes with figures of 1/25. Here's how he has bowled:

19.46 (IST): Fifty comes up for India! It has come in 9 overs with Rohit Sharma (23) and Virat Kohli (23) in the middle.

19.40 (IST): Rangana Herath's over comes to an end with a glorious six over extra-cover off Virat Kohli's willow. (India 41/1 in 7 overs)

19.38 (IST): DROPPED! Lasith Malinga has dropped Virat Kohli at mid-wicket. How costly is this miss going to be?

19.35 (IST): Here's how India fared in the first batting powerplay:

 

19.33 (IST): Lasith Malinga brings himself on to bowl the final over of the batting powerplay. Nine runs come from it. (India 31/1 in 6 overs)

19.30 (IST): Off-spinner Sachitra Senanayake comes into the attack in the fifth over and Rohit Sharma takes him on, hitting a four behind square. India collect eight runs from the over. (India 23/1 in 5 overs)

19.21 (IST): FOUR! Virat Kohli, as always, is unperturbed by the situation. He flicks a Nuwan Kulasekara delivery to the mid-wicket fence. (India 9/1 in 2.1 overs)

19.15 (IST): OUT! Ajinkya Rahane is gone! He attempted a wild swing but the ball from Angelo Mathews did not have enough bounce and went on to clip the stumps. (India 4/1 in 1.3 over)

19.14 (IST): Hint of early swing from Nuwan Kulasekara. Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane collect just four runs from it. (India 4/0 in 1 over)

19.10 (IST): Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane walk out to open the Indian innings. Nuwan Kulasekara has the ball in his hand.

 

18.54 (IST): Teams:

 

India: Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma

Sri Lanka: Kusal Perera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Sachitra Senanayake, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga

18.40 (IST): Sri Lanka win toss, elect to field against India. India remain unchanged. Sri Lanka bring in Thisara Perera for Sekkuge Prasanna.

18.32 (IST): Sourav Ganguly has a few words of praise for Sri Lankan skipper Lasith Malinga. He says, " Lasith Malinga has been fantastic. To come in as a bowler and become captain is not easy. Five finals in seven years, Lanka is not a bad team."

18.26 (IST): As players of both sides are out, warming up, here's a look at the top-five battles of the marquee clash.

18.15 (IST): Latest Update: The toss will take place at 19.10 local time (18.40 IST).

18.02 (IST): The news coming in is that the rain has stopped and the covers are being taken off. The toss has been delayed a bit but a full 20-over match is expected.

17.26 (IST): Ravichandran Ashwin (10 wickets) and Amit Mishra (9 wickets) will hope to be among the wickets and look to finish as the most successful bowlers of the tournament

17.24 (IST): 2009, 2012 and 2014: Sri Lanka have been a regular feature of the Twenty20 World Cup final. Can they get third time lucky?

17.16 (IST): But the good thing is, if rain plays spoilsport, the match will be conducted on the reserve day tomorrow (Monday).

17.13 (IST): If rain does have an impact on the game, it will be interesting to see how teams approach toss and their strategies while batting and bowling.

17.03 (IST): There is some bad news coming in as it has started to rain in Dhaka. The covers are on.

16.51 (IST): STATS WATCH: Virat Kohli (242 runs in 5 innings) is the leading run-scorer in this edition of the tournament and is set to stay that way. Here's the list of top-10 scorers.

 

16.25 (IST): As we gear up for the men's finale, Australia have beaten England in the ICC Women's World T20 final by six wickets to clinch the title.

 

15:50 (IST): Whatever be the result of the World T20 final, it shall be history in the making for both teams. India can become the first team to win the tournament twice while Sri Lanka might win their first crown in this format. (Watch: History beckons MS Dhoni & Co.)

 

15:33 (IST): The Indian skipper once again proved that the hostility of an India vs Pakistan match is no longer high by providing a Pakistani fan a complementary ticket for the final. (Dhoni makes friendly gesture)

 

15:13 (IST): MS Dhoni admits that controversies are all part of cricket. He says that he has seen many of them during his tenure as skipper and does not let such issues affect his performance on the field. Dhoni feels that cricketers need to take such things in their stride and move on. (Controversies part of cricket, my life: Dhoni)

 

15:00 (IST): Even Google is not far behind in the build up to the final as they have come up with a doodle on their homepage. By clicking on this, the user can go to all stories related to the final of the ICC World Twenty20. (Google doodle inspired from World T20 final between India and Sri Lanka)

 

14:44 (IST): Sri Lanka have a dismal record in the final of ICC tournaments. They lost the 2009 & 2012 World T20 finals, the ICC World Cup finals in 2007 and 201 and now have a chance to redeem themselves against India in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 in Dhaka on Sunday. (Read more)

 

PREVIEW

Sri Lanka face a daunting test of nerves from dominant India in Sunday's all-Asian World Twenty20 final in Dhaka that is rich with incentives for both teams.

If Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team win, they will become the first team to hold all three major limited-overs titles, having won the 50-over World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy last year.

Sri Lanka will seek an end to an inexplicable losing streak in title matches, after being beaten twice in World Cup finals in 2007 and 2011 and the World Twenty20 finals in 2009 and 2012.

A fitting farewell to veterans Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene in their last T20 international game and a million-dollar winning bonus offered by officials back home will further inspire the Sri Lankans.

Sri Lanka's English coach Paul Farbrace said past results counted for little in T20 games and pointed to his team's victory in the Asia Cup one-day tournament in Dhaka last month as a turning point.

"We've done really well in most competitions and got to finals," he said. "That's where teams want to be. We had a big win here in the Asia Cup a few weeks ago where we beat India pretty convincingly, and also beat Pakistan twice.

"T20 is about whoever turns up on that particular day. Form goes out of the window. It's about making sure we're ready and focused. What happened two years ago won't even be talked about."

Sri Lanka reached Sunday's final with a 27-run win over defending champions West Indies through the Duckworth-Lewis calculations in a rain-hit semi-final on Thursday.

The West Indies, chasing Sri Lanka's 160-6, were 80-4 in 13.5 overs when a heavy downpour forced the match to be abandoned at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka.

It was undecided if Sri Lanka's T20 captain Dinesh Chandimal will again opt out of the final, as he did on Thursday, to allow the winning combination to stay with pace bowler Lasith Malinga at the helm.

India have enjoyed an amazing run in the tournament, winning all four Super-10 league matches before beating South Africa by six wickets with five deliveries to spare in Friday's semi-final.

Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten 72 off 44 balls as India chased down South Africa's challenging 172-4, making the prolific right-hander the tournament's leading scorer with 242 runs from five games.

India have also been served well by opener Rohit Sharma, whose 171 runs are far ahead of the 134 runs compiled by Sri Lanka's top-scorer Jayawardene.

India also has the bowling edge with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's 10 wickets and leg-spinner Amit Mishra's nine outshining Sri Lankan seamer Nuwan Kulasekara (seven) and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath (five).

"There is a good feeling around the team, but we have to make a fresh start in the final," said Kohli. "Sri Lanka is never a team to take lightly."

Meanwhile, defending champions Australia will take on England in the women's final at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium a few hours before the men take the field on Sunday.

 

 

MALINGA HAS KOHLI'S NUMBER

 

Sri Lanka's stand-in captain Lasith Malinga says that Virat Kohli is a great batsman but they have the bowlers who can bowl that one good delivery, which can dismiss even the greatest. "We all know Virat is a great player. But even the greatest player needs only one ball to get out. I have a good feeling that someone from my side can bowl that one good ball tomorrow," Malinga said in a confident tone ahead of Sri Lanka's ICC World Twenty20 final against India.

When asked if the contest can be billed as one between Malinga and Kohli, he tried to play it down. "We have to plan for all 20 overs. They have six or seven good batsmen. We don't think only about getting one particular batsman out. We have to focus on bowling 20 good overs. Virat is a good player, but, if he gets a good ball, he too can get out."

Malinga did not pay much importance to their practice match victory prior to the start of the tournament. "Practice match is a practice match. But a tournament match is very different, both mentally and physically. The final is a big game and the tension is completely different. Whoever plays well on the day can win," the skipper answered.

The Lankan slinger also dismissed notions that it will be a match where he would eyeing to prove himself as his record against India is not great. "I never go into a match trying to prove myself. There are other bowlers in my team who can do the job for the team as well. As I said, anyone can produce a good ball and pick up a wicket. However good a batsman is, it can take only one ball to get him out." (Read full story)

 

DHONI HIGHLIGHTS THE VALUE OF SANGAKKARA AND JAYAWARDENE

 

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Saturday paid glowing tributes to Sri Lankan legends Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, who will be calling time on their T20 international careers at the end of the ICC World Twenty20 on Sunday.

Dhoni was asked if he could say a few words on the Lankan duo although his team will be aiming to spoil their farewell from the game's shortest format.

"If we talk about the two individual gentlemen, they have served Sri Lankan cricket for a long time, through all the formats. The thing about T20s is it's a new format. So everyone has the same experience, including people (youngsters) who have played from the start with them.

"Definitely, Lankans will miss their presence in the dressing room. Among themselves, the two I guess have played in excess of 650 ODIs and a lot of Tests. It's a fair amount of experience and they will certainly miss that. But then every good thing comes to an end. They will have to get somebody to fill in the space," Dhoni said.

He though made it amply clear that the Indians were fully focused on the job at hand. "Well, I don't have anything personal against them (Jayawardene and Sangakkara). They are representing their country and we are representing ours. May the team that plays better cricket on the day should be the winner. (Read full story)

 

THE BATTLES TO WATCH OUT FOR IN THE FINAL

 

Two Asian powerhouses, highly familiar with each other's numerous positives and flaws, face-off in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 title in Mirpur (Dhaka) on Sunday. This contest, like most others, has a handful of mini-battles within them. Here's a list of the five top encounters of the cricketing kind. (Read full story)

 

 

THE KOHLI FACTOR

 

Scoring runs in every match is great, but how you pace your innings is the real yardstick of a classy batsman. Legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Ricky Ponting, Mahela Jayawardene and Brian Lara not only scored big runs but knew how to control the tempo of their innings. Virat Kohli is consistently showing glimpses of such 'greatness.'

In the T20 format, where you live by the day, the past don't matter. Especially, when you are in a World Cup final, the present is what counts. Also, no one understand this better than Kohli. His match-winning 72 not out against South Africa in Dhaka on Friday means nothing when India face Sri Lanka in the final of the ICC World Twenty20, 2014. Like everyone else, it will be a new day in Kohli's life.

"I was really cool today," said Kohli soon after he scored the winning runs on a sweaty Friday night. Often chastised for his volatile demeanour and foul mouth, Kohli is a more matured man now. His coolness reflects in his relatively more measured mannerisms and of course, the control over his tongue. But Kohli remains the signature of youth in the current team. He dives, he cheers and he gives it all to remain India's greatest g-force on the field.

With 242 runs in five matches, laced with three fifties, Kohli is the tournament's leading scorer. He has read wickets beautifully, focused on every delivery like a hawk, timed the ball with perfection and pierced the gaps like a surgeon. The pundits call him a master chaser but he is no less a crafty builder. For Kohli, the definition of building an innings is different. Like every wiz kid, Kohli has his own style-sheet. "I look at overs and runs, not balls and runs," Kohli explains, fearless in sharing his success mantra. (Read full story)