India and Sri Lanka battle it out for glory in the final of the 2014 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh on Sunday.
The Lankans are in the final for the third time in the history of the
T20 World Cup and have never been successful at this stage. But India
have lifted the trophy once doing so during the inaugural edition in
2007.
As players prepare for the big occasion at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, IBTimes UK takes
a peek at the three vital players from both camps who could dazzle the
crowd with their performance en route to helping their nation lift the
coveted trophy.
India
Virat Kohli
Undoubtedly the most important player in the Indian lineup, Virat
Kohli has been absolutely magnificent in the tournament. The
right-handed batsman gets thrilled by the targets set for him to chase
and has not failed on any occasion in all the matches India have played
so far.
Kohli has three half-centuries to his name and registered his highest
tally of 72 runs with a Man of the Match performance against South
Africa in the semi-final on Friday. He has raced ahead as the
tournament's highest run scorer with 242 runs so far with a strike rate
of 128.04.
The 25-year-old had an average game by his standards against
Australia in the Super-10 stage, but nevertheless MS Dhoni can bank on
this right-handed maestro to pull off yet another match winning
performance against the Lankans in the final on Sunday.
Ravichandran Ashwin
While Kohli has been smashing fours and sixes with his bat,
Ravichandran Ashwin has been weaving his magic with the ball against
rival batsmen. The off-spinner is India's highest wicket-taker in the
tournament with 10 wickets to his name so far and needs three more to
surpass Imran Tahir's (South Africa) tally of 12.
Ravichandran Ashwin is India's highest wicket-taker with 10 scalps.Reuters
The 27-year-old has already garnered two Man of the Match awards with
his performance against Bangladesh and Australia and could have made it
a hat-trick of accolades against South Africa if Kohli had not outshone
him in the match.
Ashwin tore through the Proteas' top order taking three wickets
beginning with Hashim Amla (22 runs from 16 balls) with his "Sodukku
ball" and following it up with the crucial one of South African skipper
Faf du Plessis (58 runs from 41 balls), as both players threatened to
set a difficult total for India to chase.
Against Bangladesh, he just conceded 15 runs in four overs taking two
wickets and improvised further against Australia by conceding just 11
runs, bowling 3.2 overs and taking four wickets.
Whether he manages to surpass Tahir's haul or not is a different
question, but Ashwin's contribution with the ball will certainly play a
crucial role in arresting the Sri Lankan batsmen from bolstering the
numbers on the scoreboard.
Amit Mishra
Another spinner, but needless to say India's spin attack has seen
them register a five-match winning run in the tournament so far.
Amit Mishra who was recognised only by the Indian cricketing fan
bases, had never appeared in a World Cup tournament in any format for
his country. However, featuring in the T20 World Cup has not made him
nervous in any sense.
The 31-year-old is just one short of Ashwin's tally of 10 wickets and
does not boast a superior economy rate above his compatriot. However,
Mishra began the tournament with two Man of the Match performances in
the opening two matches against Pakistan and West Indies where he took
two wickets in each game.
He held an economy rate of 5.5 runs against Pakistan and even
succeeded in delivering a maiden over among the four he bowled. The
leg-spinner bettered his economy rate against West Indies by conceding
just 4.5 runs per over.
Mishra's only dip in performance came in the previous clash against
South Africa where he conceded 36 runs in three overs without taking a
single wicket.
Dhoni will certainly be hoping that Mishra can avoid a repeat of his
performance from the semi-final and not allow the Lankan batsmen any
advantage against his spin.
Sri Lanka
Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene was unlucky to be dismissed via run out against West Indies in the semi-final.Reuters
Mahela Jayawardene, a top order batsman for Sri Lanka is one of the most experienced players in the lineup.
The right-handed batsman has only one commendable performance in this
year's World Cup scoring 89 runs from 51 deliveries against England
although his knock ended in vain as Sri Lanka went on to lose the match.
However, he is their highest scorer overall in the tournament with 134 runs from five matches, holding a strike rate of 131.37.
Although, he was unlucky to have got out without facing a single ball
against West Indies the 36-year-old does carry the expectations of his
compatriots who will be hoping he chips in with a fine performance
against India.
Angelo Mathews
A middle-order batsman and a medium paced bowler by nature, Angelo Mathews has stepped up to help his team in times of need.
The 26-year-old has performed with both the bat and ball; with cameos
against South Africa and West Indies in the Super-10 and semi-final
respectively. His knock of 40 runs from 23 balls helped Sri Lanka post a
target of 161 for the West Indians to chase earning him his second Man
of the Match accolade of the tournament.
Mathews' first Man of the Match performance includes a three-wicket
haul against Netherlands where he conceded 16 runs in four overs
collapsing the Dutch batting lineup for a total of just 39 runs.
Although he is not one of their main bowlers, his overall ability as
an all-rounder is highly precious if Sri Lanka intend to counter the
threat of Rohit Sharma, Kohli, etc.
Rangana Herath
Can Rangana Herath stun the Indian batsmen with his spin?Reuters
Having played only two matches in the ongoing T20 World Cup, Rangana
Herath stormed ahead as the second highest wicket-taker for Sri Lanka
with a Man of the Match performance against New Zealand in their last
Super-10 fixture.
The 36-year-old not only managed to grab five wickets, he also played
a role in the two run-outs of openers Martin Guptill and Kane
Williamson, helping the Lankans windup the Black Caps' innings for just
60 runs.
Herath only conceded three runs and managed two maiden overs from the
3.3 overs that he bowled. However, he failed to repeat his
wicket-taking feat against West Indies in the semi-final and conceded 27
runs in four overs.
Nevertheless, Herath's contribution will be important for Sri Lanka
who aim to surprise favourites India from emerging triumphant at their
expense in the tournament.
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