T20 World Cup Winners Recap: Reminiscing Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup win in 2014

Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup win in 2014 relived the moments nine years ago on April 6 in a moving flashback to the historic achievement, while rallying around the current T20 Team, echoed their expectations for a repeat performance by Sri Lanka touch gold in the Everest of cricket’s most scintillating action oriented format that has engulfed the game. Lasith Malinga, captain of the champion 2014 team, expressed his desire to see Sri Lanka win another world cup while recalling that momentous achievement on SLC YouTube and once again thanking the cricket-loving public for rallying around the team. “We have been rallying round the team giving my expertise support as well as Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Rangana Herath, and pledge to do everything possible on the coaching front to see Sri Lanka win another world cup in this format,” stated Jayawardene.  

Former captain Angelo Mathews, who was also a member of the winning 2014 side that defeated India in the cup final, stated, “Our backing is there to support the country to win another T20 world cup.”  

Meanwhile, former captain Mahela Jayawardene recalled his and cricketing colleague Kumar Sangakkara’s now-or-never drive to world cup glory. “After several flings that had just fallen short of cup glory, Sanga and I resolved that this was it for the two of us to achieve the ultimate,” Mahela added, recalling how Bangladesh overcame India by six wickets in the final at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur nine years ago. 

The YouTube combo of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene captured the climactic moments of travelling from the airport to the delight of an overwhelming number of home fans at the Galle Face Green that they would remember for the rest of their life. It’s a suitable throwback to cheer for today’s T20 cricket team, with Kumar Sangakkara quick to remark, ‘we are always there to support our players of today.’ 

This right-handed and left-handed twosome of exquisitely contrasting stylised batting greats bonded through the game to former friends to fanning out opposition attacks written in that epoch making 624-run third-wicket partnership against South Africa in 2006, did a day ago, project that patriotic feeling of landing the jackpot or gold at cricket’s highest summit.  ‘When we were halfway there, Kumar and I stressed how important this last fling was to earning world cup gold,’ Mahela remembered after three failed world cup attempts. 

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Rangana Herath had done the labour to get us to the final, and Kumar and I had sailed along nicely chasing India’s 130/4 total until I went after a half bowler who undid it. But we had Angelo and Thisara waiting in the wings, and Thisara went out and finished it.’ 

Thisara Perera, in his prime, smacks the ball around, getting over the top three times for a quick fire unbeaten 23 off 14 in the penultimate attack, while Sangakkara remains unbeaten on 52 off 35 with six boundaries and a six.    

Kumar Sangakkara’s memories are as moving as his remembrance that ‘I was out of form and had actually spoken to the captain and Mahela and wanted to opt out, but they persuaded me to play and that spurred me, for which I am grateful.’  

Also read: The T20 win by Pakistan in 2009

The rest, as he remembers with delight, is history, as he recalls the famous unbeaten Player of the Final performance that was to be the cornerstone of India’s final hurrah. 

As the iconic couple expressed it, the World Cup is the ultimate drive for greatness that they cherish to this day, and it was to flame in the final joyous mood mingling with thronging home fans. Kumar, like Mahela, treasures the riotous times because ‘it was a milestone occasion for our cricket fans.’ 

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