Sri Lanka Win World Twenty20 Title

Sri Lanka claimed a long-awaited World T20 title by chasing down a target of 131 for a six-wicket victory over India in the final.

Kumar Sangakkara finished 52 not out as Sri Lanka got home with 13 balls to spare in Dhaka to end a run of four straight defeats in global limited-overs finals in the past seven years.

It was a fitting way for Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, the engine room of their country's middle order for more than a decade, to sign off in their final T20 international.

India were restricted to 130-4 after being sent in to bat when play got under way half-an-hour late because of a short, sharp downpour in between the women's final - won by Australia - and the men's.

India No 3 Virat Kohli made 77 off 58 balls, his fourth half-century of the tournament to finish as the leading run scorer with 319 in six innings.

But India's innings stalled late on, with only 19 runs and no boundaries being scored off the final four overs.

Sri Lanka were reduced to 78-4 in reply before Sangakkara and Thisara Perera combined in a 54-run stand to see them over the winning line.

India picked up the wickets of Kusal Perera and Tillakaratne Dilshan inside the initial six-over powerplay, bringing Sangakkara and Jayawardene together for one last time in the format.

The veteran duo put on 24 but, just as India were starting to look short of ideas on breaking the stand, Jayawardene (24) picked out Ravi Ashwin with a slog-sweep at the Suresh Raina's part-time spin.

Sri Lanka had lost to the same opponents in the 2011 World Cup final and had also come out on the wrong side on the showpiece occasion at the World T20s of 2009 and 2012, as well as the 2007 World Cup.

And they were wobbling again in the 13th over when Lahiru Thirimanne - again preferred to Sri Lanka's official T20 skipper Dinesh Chandimal in the starting XI - was superbly caught behind low down by Mahendra Singh Dhoni off leg-spinner Amit Mishra's bowling.

But Thisara, who came into Sri Lanka's team at Seekkuge Prasanna's expense in the only change on either side, settled any nerves with some no-nonsense leg-side strokeplay in his 14-ball 23 not out.

The required-rate was well under control in any case and, shortly after Sangakkara completed a 31-ball half-century, Thisara finished off the game from the fifth ball of the 18th over with his third six.

Kohli had earlier been run out from the final ball as India's middle order wasted a promising platform.

Ajinkya Rahane dragged onto his stumps in the second over to give Angelo Mathews an early breakthrough but Kohli joined Rohit Sharma in a 60-run, second-wicket stand.

The expected charge never materialised. Sharma chipped a catch to cover from Rangana Herath's bowling and Yuvraj Singh struggled to lay bat on ball while making 11 off 21.

Kohli - whose half-century came up from 43 balls - faced only eight of the final 24 deliveries as India, on 111-2 after 16 overs, spluttered through the remainder of their allocation.

Yuvraj holed out from a Nuwan Kulasekara full toss to start the penultimate over, bringing India captain Dhoni to the middle, although he could do little with a series of pinpoint yorkers from his opposite number Malinga to finish.