Kumar Sangakkara to step down as Sri Lankan skipper

Kumara Sangakkara. Sri Lankan skipper Kumara Sangakkara on Tuesday toldHeadlines Today that he was going to quit the national cricket team's captaincy. Sangakkara said he has already met the Lankan board officials and communicated his decision and said he felt that following the ICC World Cup finals defeat at the hands of Indian team it was time someone else took over as the captain of the Lankan cricket team. Sangakkara's disclosure came in an exclusive interview with Headlines Today Executive Editor Rahul Kanwal. Ruling out his retirement from the game, however, Sangakkara said, "I will continue to play for another two-three years." Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men had defeated Sangakkara's team by 6 wickets in the final held at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on April 2. It was Sri Lanka's second consecutive World Cup final defeat under his captaincy. In 2007, Lanka had lost the coveted trophy to the mighty Australians.

Congratulated by captain

Congratulated by captain TUESDAY, 29 MARCH 2011 18:35 Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga is congratulated by captain and wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara as New Zealand's Nathan McCullum walks off the field after being dismissed during their ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi-final match in Colombo March 29, 2011. REUTERS