Sri Lanka knock India out of contest

GROS ISLET, SAINT LUCIA: India were knocked out of the World Twenty20 here on Tuesday after failing to restrict Sri Lanka to a total of 143 or under in their final Super Eights match.

India had to win the game at the Beausejour Stadium by at least a 20-run margin to have a chance of going through to the last four. But having made 163 themselves, they were unable to restrict Sri Lanka sufficiently with a six by Chamara Kapugedara off Vinay Kumar sealing the 2007 champions’ fate. India’s chance of reaching the semi-finals was an open question from the beginning.

Not only did they have to beat Sri Lanka, they had to do so by 20 runs to have a shot at reaching the last four. And then they had to hope hosts West Indies lost to Australia in the day’s second and last Group F match.

Published in the Express Tribune, May 12th, 2010.