(NIDAHASA News) Sri Lanka became the cricket world champion after 18 years yesterday by defeating India in the World Twenty20 final in Dhaka on Sunday (06).

Sri Lanka won 50-over World Cup crown in 1996, but was facing continues misfortune of losing the final in major events including two 50-over world cups and many T20 cups.

Kumar Sangakkara's memorable half-century helped Sri Lanka to case 131-run target in 17.5 overs.

It was a fitting farewell for Sangakkara as well as Mahela Jayawardene as both of them have pulled the curtains on their T20 careers with this victory.

“It's been a long time coming, (we've) waited five finals,” said Sangakkara.

“I am pretty happy that I was able to do something for the team. It means a lot to all of us. We are very humbled by this.” he added.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni praised Sri Lanka saying “It was a perfect game for” Sri Lanka.

Being World Cup and Champions Trophy winners India hoped to become the first team to hold all three limited-overs trophies; but their quest was undermined by a to weak batting performance.

“In the middle overs our batsmen tried our best, but we couldn't convert the good start,” Dhoni said.

(NIDAHASA News) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) says that they have decided canceled the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) Twenty20 league due to lack of interest by prospective buyers to invest in the franchises.

All seven franchises for the SLPL were held by Indian companies. But they had failed to meet several deadlines to pay nearly three million dollars, SLC said.

“We will not have the tournament this year because the seven Indian franchise holders did not pay despite verbal and sometimes written assurances that they will,” SLPL Director Ajit Jayasekera told AFP. “We could not go on indefinitely.”

The this decision was taken last evening at an emergency meeting between SLC office bearers and SLPL’s organizer Somerset Entertainment Ventures (SEV) at SLC headquarters, SLC sources said.

Last year SLPL produced a stunning Rs. 289 million profit which will be badly missed by SLC this year which has already been marked as one of the worst ever financial years for SLC in recent memory with only a very few international tours lined up. SLC also obtained a cancellation of three Test matches against South Africa during the world’s number one team’s current tour of Sri Lanka, in order to secure a window for the SLPL.

(NIDAHASA News) Sri Lankan boxer Manju Wanniarachchi was stripped of his Commonwealth Games gold medal today (08) after he tested positive for the anabolic steroids after his victory in New Delhi.

After a protracted legal process, the Commonwealth Games Federations (CGF) Federation's court, meeting in Kuala Lumpur, ruled that Wanniarachchi has been disqualified from the 2010 Commonwealth Games and his competition results at the Delhi Games be nullified.

“The Court has ruled that the medal awarded to him be forfeited and returned to the CGF,” a statement issued by governing body said. “The gold medal in the bantamweight 56 kilo weight division will be awarded to Sean McGoldrick from Wales,” it said further.

According to statement Wanniarachchi's urine sample was found to contain 19-Norandrosterone, a banned performance-enhancing substance.

However Wanniarachchi lawyers have vowed to carry on his fight to try to keep his Commonwealth Games gold medal claming that the boxer may have unknowingly taken the banned steroid when he consulted a physician.