Sri Lanka beat India to win ICC World T20 Title

DHAKA: Sri Lanka became the T20 champions for the first time defeating India by six wickets with 13 balls remaining in the final of the fifth World Twenty20 in Mirpur on Sunday.

Sri Lanka won their maiden World T20 title after reaching the final for the fourth time in a row.

Chasing 131, Sri Lanka reached the target in 17.5 overs when Thisara Perera hit the winning stroke – his third six in an unbeaten 23 from 14 balls.

Sri Lanka made 134 for six after Kumar Sangakkara reached his eighth T20 fifty in his last match in this form of cricket.

The veteran batsman scored an unbeaten 52 off 35 balls with six fours and a six as he bid farewell to Twenty20 International cricket along with his teammate Mahela Jayawardene who made 24 in as many balls with four boundaries. However, both players will continue playing Test and One-day International cricket.

Earlier, India were sent into bat by Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain Lasith Malinga in the match delayed due to a wet field of the Shere Bangla National Stadium.

India made a disastrous start losing Ajankya Rahane, who was bowled by Angelo Mathews for three, at the score of only four runs on the board.

However, India’s most consistent batsman Virat Kohli came to rescue and together with Rohit Sharma added 60 runs for the second wicket stand before the latter was dismissed by Sachithra Senanayake for 29.

Then Kohli joined by Yuvraj Singh for another 55 runs for the third wicket but they could not accelerate the run rate.

After Yuvraj was out for 11 off the first ball of the 19th over, captain Mahindra Singh Dhoni joined Kohli but they could add just 11 runs from as many balls.

Kohli was run out trying to take second run off the last ball of the innings after hitting four sixes and five fours in his 58-ball innings.

He was named the Player of the Series while Sangakkara was declared the Player of the Match at the end of the tournament.