How the party started in Colombo: the WT20 in photos
The World T20 2014 began with a qualifying round, where hosts Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and six Associates battled it out to play in the Super 10s. Bangladesh opened the tournament in a much-anticipated game against Afghanistan, and there was much excitement in Dhaka in the lead-up to the match. © ESPNcricinfo
There was more joy for first-timers in this round, as Nepal held on for a nine-run win against Afghanistan, defending 141. © ICC
LED-light infused stumps and bails - each of which cost as much as an iPhone, according to the man behind the innovation Bronte Eckermann - had made an appearance in this tournament. © ICC
Sri Lanka got off to a winning start too, applying the squeeze on South Africa to win by five runs defending 165. © Getty Images
From a record high to a record low for Netherlands. They were shot out for 39, the lowest total in T20 internationals, and then Sri Lanka romped home with 15 overs to spare. © Getty Images
England v Sri Lanka in dew-drenched Chittagong was an odd one. Mahela Jayawardene got one of his uglier half-centuries as England struggled to - in Stuart Broad's words - bowl with or catch "a bar of soap", and were then reduced to 0 for 2 in the first over of the chase of 190. Then Alex Hales (in pic) and Eoin Morgan took charge. Hales went on to hammer England's first T20I hundred, and the team got home with four balls to spare. © AFP
An AB de Villiers special against England, in which he struck 69 not out off 28 to carry South Africa to 196. To England's credit, they made a good fist of the chase, losing by just three runs. © Getty Images
Virtual quarter-final one. For Sri Lanka and New Zealand, it came down to a straight shootout for the one remaining semi-final spot from Group 1, with South Africa already having qualified. At the halfway stage, New Zealand had one foot in the top four, having kept Sri Lanka to 119. Enter Rangana Herath. He took three wickets before conceding a run, ended with 5 for 3 and shut the door in a bewildered New Zealand's face. © Getty Images
In the second semi, Virat Kohli produced a composed but sparkling 72 not out off 44 to make sure India strolled home in what was, at one point, a tense chase of 173. Kohli would end the tournament as the top run-getter, with 319 runs at 106.33. © AFP
Back in the men's tournament, like South Africa, Sri Lanka had several ghosts to lay to rest. They had got into the final four - or better - in six of the previous eight global tournaments, but didn't have a trophy to show for it. They were up against a confident, unbeaten India. They didn't wilt. A fabulous death-bowling performance helped keep India to 130. © ICC
To the fans' relief, the home side breezed to a nine-wicket win. Here, Anamul Haque celebrates hitting the winning six. © ICC
Of course, the Bangladesh fans added a good dose of colour and spark to the tournament. © ICC
While Nepal failed to progress to the next round, their showing was enough to spark wild celebrations and much adulation back home. Not only did the players receive a heroes welcome in Kathmandu, they also found their faces splashed everywhere. Here's Shakti Gauchan on the back of a truck. © Nepal Cricket Fan Club/NepalCricket Twitter
Time for the Super 10s then and it was India v Pakistan that got things rolling. © ICC
Umar Akmal's 94 off 54 got Pakistan's campaign back on track against Australia, with his team holding on despite a stunning counterattack of 74 off 33 in the chase from Glenn Maxwell. Australia ended 16 short of their target of 192. © Getty Images
Samuel Badree, another legspinner who grabbed the spotlight in the tournament, destroys the hosts with figures of 4 for 15 - the best for West Indies in a World T20. West Indies go on to win by 73 runs. © AFP
On the same day, over in the Women's World T20, Australia's Meg Lanning hit 126 off 65 to flatten Ireland. That put her second only to countryman Aaron Finch on the list of top T20 international scores, and No. 1 on the women's charts. © ICC
Ahmed Shehzad scored the first T20I century for Pakistan, hitting 111 not out off 62 to help Pakistan pile up 190 against Bangladesh and score an easy win. © ICC
Virtual quarter-final two. West Indies and Pakistan were in a two-horse race, with India already having won all their matches in Group 2. Pakistan seemed to have things under control halfway through the first innings, before Dwayne Bravo (46 off 26) and Darren Sammy (42* off 20, in pic) went crazy. Samuel Badree took care of the rest: Pakistan were rolled for 82 - the same number of runs West Indies scored from overs 16-20. © Getty Images
Even South Africa legspinner Imran Tahir, who topped the wickets charts, could not rein in Kohli and India on the day, as they consigned South Africa to another heartbreaking loss in the knockouts of a global tournament; they've not won a single big-stage knockout game since 1998. © Getty Images
And just as it seemed the chase was getting tight, Kumar Sangakkara, who had been struggling for form all tournament, delivered. In his - and his good friend Mahela Jayawardene's - last T20 international, he scored 52 not out off 35, to help Sri Lanka seal the title with two overs to spare. © ICC
Bangladesh managed to qualify for the Super 10s from their group, but it was not all smooth sailing from them: Hong Kong, in their first appearance in a top-flight global tournament, stunned the hosts to record a two-wicket win in Chittagong. © ICC
In the other qualifying group, Netherlands pulled off the ultimate heist, knocking out Ireland and Zimbabwe in one fell swoop. This was accomplished by chasing down 190 in 13.5 overs to hoist their net run rate above the other two. The chief architects of the win: Stephan Myburgh (63 off 23), Wesley Barresi (40* off 22) and Tom Cooper (45* off 15). © ICC
On the field, it was India who came up trumps against Pakistan in a global tournament once again. The seven-wicket win was in large part set-up by Amit Mishra, the first of many legspinners to dominate in the Super 10s. © ICC
A Dale Steyn special meant South Africa pipped New Zealand by two runs in another nail-biter, with Steyn defending seven off the final over despite a set Ross Taylor - who was eventually run out by the fiery fast bowler for 62 off 37 - still being in. © Getty Images
Netherlands' rollercoaster ride continued as they gave South Africa an almighty scare. First medium pacer Ahsan Malik limited them to 145 with figures of 5 for 19, then Stephan Myburgh (in pic) slammed 51 off 28 to lay the platform for the chase. However, Netherlands couldn't hold their nerve in the end and fell six runs short with eight balls still remaining. © Getty Images
James Faulkner learnt that you don't say you "don't like" the West Indies and just get away with it. With West Indies needing 12 of four balls, Faulkner ran in and watched Darren Sammy pummel it over long-off. The next one also sailed straight back over the bowler, and then it was time for the West Indies to party - and vent - with a Gangnam routine. © ICC
Netherlands' crowning moment, as they catch out England - for the second time in World T20s. Defending 133, their bowlers do the team proud by bowling out a sorry England for just 88. Netherlands might not have qualified for the 2015 World Cup and lost their ODI status as a result, but they were the story of this World T20. © Getty Images
On to the semis then. Hail had the final stay in the first, with an apocalyptic thunderstorm descending over the Shere Bangla Stadium even as Sri Lanka had West Indies in a tight corner in their chase of 161. Sri Lanka went through by 27 runs via the D/L method. © ICC
Finals day began with the old foes England and Australia facing off for the Women's World T20 title. Australia were relentless, first restricting England to 105 for 8 and then chasing down the target with almost five overs to spare. That meant a hat-trick of World T20 titles for the team. © Getty Images
That meant it was party time on the streets of Colombo. © Associated Press