/ 6 April 2014

Sri Lanka beat India to win maiden World T20 title

Zanu-PF president Robert Mugabe.
Zanu-PF president Robert Mugabe.

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.

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.

Kohli, the tournament's top scorer, ran himself out in the final delivery of the innings after a 58-ball knock that included four sixes and five boundaries. – Reuters