[Exclusive] 'I replicated Arjun Ranatunga’s 1996 moment in 2014' - Thisara Perera on Sri Lanka's victory in T20 World Cup 2014

Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera opened up on his side's 2014 T20 World Cup victory which was a sweet redemption for losing the ODI World Cup in 2011, as they beat Team India in the summit clash. Between 2007 and 2012, Sri Lanka suffered four unfortunate defeats in the ICC (International Cricket Council) tournament finals. 

After World Cup losses to Australia and India,  in 2007 and 2011 respectively, along with T20 World Cup final defeats to Pakistan in 2009 and West Indies in 2012, left deep scars on the mindset of the Lankan Lions. The 35-year-old revealed that he had a dream to win a title for Sri Lanka and if given a chance he would hit a six to seal the game for his side. The all-rounder was over the moon when his childhood dream came to reality in 2014.

"You know, I’ve been part of many finals, and I always had a dream of helping my country win a World Cup. That dream came true in 2014," said Perera in an exclusive conversation with CricTracker on the sidelines of the Legends League Cricket (LLC).

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I had opportunity in 2014 against Ashwin, I made sure to seize it: Thisara Perera

For the unversed, Thisara Perera in the 2011 ODI World Cup final against India, played a crucial (23* off 14 balls) knock, which included three boundaries and a six. It is worth mentioning that three of those shots came in the final over against none other than the bowling stalwart, Zaheer Khan. Moreover, the all rounder also dismissed an ominous-looking Gautam Gambhir, who was batting on 97, while chasing a target of 275. The 2014 T20 World Cup final against India at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium was a turning point for the island nation.

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Sri Lanka's bowlers restricted India to just 130/4 with Virat Kohli (77 off 58 balls) scoring a vital fifty, being the only significant batting performance. In response, Kumar Sangakkara scored an unbeaten 52* and took the onus on himself to seal the game for the side. Perera's role in the final was crucial as his unbeaten 23 runs, including three sixes. Perera scored the winning runs as he launched Ravichandran Ashwin for a six down the ground.

"I must say, during the 1996 World Cup, Arjun Ranatunga scored just four runs, which made me determined that if I ever got the chance, I would hit a six. When I had the opportunity in 2014 against Ashwin in the fifth ball of the 17th over, I made sure to seize it. That moment fulfilled my dream, and I’m truly happy about it, Perera concluded.

Meanwhile, the Colombo-born is currently taking part in the ongoing Legends League Cricket 2024 tournament and is playing for the defending champions, Manipal Tigers, under the able leadership of Harbhajan Singh. The Sri Lankan has so far played in four games and has scored 125 runs at an average of 62.50. The Tigers couldn't qualify for the knockout stage as they managed to win just two games out of a total of seven matches.