Sri Lanka beat India to win maiden World T20 title
April 6, 2014 10:46 pm
Sri Lanka lifted their maiden World Twenty20 title following their six-wicket victory against former champions India at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Sunday.
Kumar Sangakkara hit an important 52 not out in his last Twenty20 international outing to help Sri Lanka chase down the 131-run victory target with 13 balls to spare and deny India, the reigning 50-over World Cup and Champions Trophy winners, a record limited over treble.
Put into bat after evening drizzle delayed the start of the all-Asian final by 40 minutes, India posted a below-par 130 for four wickets despite Virat Kohli’s breezy 77.
Man of the match winner Sangakkara’s crucial 35-ball knock included six boundaries and a six. Another departing great, Mahela Jayawardene, contributed a run-a-ball 24.
Earlier, India lost opener Ajinkya Rahane in the second over before Kohli added 60 runs with Rohit Sharma (29) to prop up the innings and prepare for a late assault that failed to materialise.
Yuvraj Singh’s (11) 21-ball struggle to find the middle of the bat, coupled with Sri Lanka’s brilliant death bowling, restricted India to a total that left little margin for error when the 2007 champions returned to defend the score.
