ICC World Twenty20 2014: Sri Lanka Won, Beat India in Final at Mirpur, Sangakkara and Malinga Star

The ICC World Twenty20 2014 was the fifth edition of the T20 World Cup, hosted in Bangladesh across venues in Dhaka, Chittagong, and Sylhet in March and April 2014. Bangladesh was hosting a major ICC tournament for only the second time (after the 2011 Cricket World Cup, which it co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka). Sri Lanka came into the tournament on the back of a strong domestic white-ball season and a squad that included Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene — both in the final years of their international careers — alongside a new generation including Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews. Lasith Malinga, Sri Lanka's pace spearhead and the world's best T20 death bowler, was their key weapon in the bowling attack. India, two-time T20 World Cup finalists (winning in 2007 and reaching the 2014 final), were the tournament's strongest batting side, with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni available.

Sri Lanka's Path to the Final and Malinga's Wickets

Sri Lanka progressed through the tournament conceding remarkably few runs in their bowling innings: Malinga's ability to bowl accurate, swinging, low-trajectory yorkers at the death was central to Sri Lanka's strategy of restricting totals and creating achievable chases. He took 11 wickets across the tournament — the most by any bowler — at an average of 8.45 and an economy rate of 5.55. His bowling in the knockout rounds was decisive in limiting opposing batting attacks that had been dominant in the group stage. Sri Lanka reached the final unbeaten in the Super 10 stage, with wins against New Zealand, England, South Africa, and the West Indies.

The Final: Sri Lanka Beat India at Mirpur

The final at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on 6 April 2014 was the culmination of a tournament that had been building toward an India–Sri Lanka match on the subcontinent, in conditions both teams knew well. India batted first and scored 130 for 4 from their 20 overs — a moderate total that gave Sri Lanka a target they could pursue with controlled aggression. Sri Lanka's chase was anchored by Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 35 not out and finished the match with a six. Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets with 13 balls remaining. It was Sri Lanka's first T20 World Cup title and gave Sangakkara and Jayawardene (who was playing his final T20 World Cup) a tournament win to add to their collection of near-misses in ICC events. The victory was particularly meaningful for the older generation of Sri Lankan cricketers who had experienced three ICC final defeats under Jayawardene's captaincy.