T20 World Cup Finals Schedule 2012: Date, Time, Live Stream, Preview and More

After a series of thrilling matches, the T20 World Cup will come down to an intense final showdown between Sri Lanka and West Indies.

Both teams have been impressive on their way to the top, West Indies defeated Australia handily in the semifinals to earn a berth in the final while Sri Lanka owns victories over traditional powerhouse nations such as England and Pakistan.

This matchup may not be what everyone was expecting when the prominent international tournament kicked off, but it should offer an intriguing finals matchup between two teams that are red-hot. Here's a look at where and when you can catch the finals along with preview of the action.

Where: Sri Lanka, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

When: Sunday, October 7, 9:00 a.m. ET

Live Stream: ESPN3

 

Sri Lanka Player to Watch: Mahela Jayawardene

Sri Lanka’s impressive march to the finals has been fueled by a great home-field advantage and a strong showing from team captain Mahela Jayawardene.

The 35-year-old batsman has paced the Sri Lanka offense with 210 runs in the tournament, good for fourth in the competition. With teammate and fellow prolific scorer Tillakaratne Dilshan on the roster, leading the team is no easy task.

With West Indies coming off of an explosive effort against Australia in the semifinals, Sri Lanka will need plenty of runs to win the championship. Jayawardene should provide the offense needed.

 

West Indies Player to Watch: Chris Gale

The West Indies have been as surprising as any team in this tournament by making it to the finals on the back of an incredible performance from Chris Gale.

Gale is currently second in the tournament in runs with 219 in the competition. Considering there are no other West Indies players anywhere near the list of top run-producers, it’s clear that Gale is key to West Indies scoring runs.

With both teams so offensively skilled, this match should be high scoring. If it turns out to be a shootout, Gale will need to step up in a big way.

Prediction

These two teams actually met once in the tournament. Sri Lanka came out victorious by nine wickets in a group play match. Expect Sri Lanka to ride another explosive performance from Jayawardene and Dilshan to take the championship in an exciting final.