The triumphant Sri lankan cricketers were on Tuesday accorded a rousing reception by delirious fans as they touched down at Bandaranaike International Airport here after winning the World Twenty20 crown with the highlight being a victory parade on a decked-up double decker bus.
Fans jumped in unbridled joy the moment they got a glimpse of their nation's heroes. The cricketers lapped up all the love and adulation prompting them to express their thanks. Hero of the final against India and now a retiree from T20 Internationals, Kumar Sangakkara captured the hysteria in his camera from the aircraft and posted the picture on twitter. "The crowd awaiting our arrival. Took the photo from plane Window. Amazing. Thank you pic," Sangakkara, who scored a match-winning half-century in the title clash, tweeted.
Sri lanka Cricket had invited "all loyal cricket fans to line the roads up to Galle Face Green and welcome our Champion National". The arrival had been a much-awaited one for the fans as well as the cricketers. And as it turned out, it indeed was a grand welcome for the players. Sangakkara wrote, "on the double decker bus. Amazing pic."
In one of the pictures, skipper lasith Malinga was seen standing in front of the double decker bus and waving to the crowd. He was earlier seen holding the trophy inside the plane. Sangakkara also posted a picture showing the airport crew holding the national flag. "Airport ground crew with our flag," the lankan legend tweeted.
IPl experience helped: Malinga
Pacer lasith Malinga, who led Sri lanka to the World T20 title, the country first major crown for 18 years, has attributed his success in the just-concluded event in Bangladesh to IPl. "My experience of playing in the IPl for 6 years helped", Malinga told reporters on arrival here.
The team was given a hero's welcome at the international airport before being driven in an open bus to the central Colombo's Galle Face promenade for a civic reception.
Explaining the IPl experience, Malinga said Sri lanka's success was mainly due to Indian batsmen's inability to make runs in the last four overs of the summit clash. "Indian batsmen are good at making a lot of runs in the final overs. I knew from my IPl experience which side to bowl to them which field to set for them," Malinga, who consistently played well for the Mumbai Indians in the IPl said.