The grand abdication of the Kandyan king

"Sanga! Sanga! Sanga!"

The chanting began as Kumar Sangakkara moved into the 90s. Between the end of the 30th over and the start of the 41st, Sangakkara had faced just 15 deliveries for 15 runs, and the crowd was becoming impatient. But for one chance, spurned by England, Sangakkara had batted imperiously. His subjects had come to see a coronation and Sangakkara was not about to disappoint.

"Sanga! Sanga! Sanga!"

The noise echoed up into the sky as the sun began to set behind the hills. Sangakkara, the Man of the Match, was talking to the media but the throng remained outside the building, jostling for a glimpse. He came down to greet them, smiling, arms open. Moments later, he was being ushered back inside by lackeys and soldiers, fearful he would be mobbed. Sanga love can be hard to control.

They had come in their thousands for Sangakkara, in his final match at Pallekele. The grass banks were packed with people who would call him one of them. The Trinity College schoolboy is now a statesmanlike figure in his country, one of the pre-eminent figures in world cricket and a batsman still capable of glorious deeds. But he will always be a Kandy kolla.

If the ancient Kandyan kingdom still existed, Sangakkara would surely sit on the throne. It is conceivable, were it put to a vote, the locals might choose to revert to an absolute monarchy. His regal touch with bat in hand is matched by a compelling charisma as a person, an easy smile and a gracious manner. King Sanga would have been a benevolent ruler.

He is, however, set to abdicate as a cricketer. The World Cup will bring a close to his 15-year ODI career and this was necessarily a farewell. His 20th one-day hundred was therefore timed as sweetly as one of those scything front-foot drives through the covers.

When he reached it, stroking one more single through the off side, the congregation worshipped. His dismissal a few overs later brought another ovation. The post-match presentations were only about one man. They hymned his name over and over again. "Sanga don't retire" read a sign held up by one fan. "God of the cricket" said another.

In the middle of Kandy stands the Temple of the Tooth. This holy place is home to the Tooth Relic, supposedly one of Buddha's teeth, which is held in a casket and paraded in a ceremony once a year. Without being remotely sacrilegious, in a more inconsequential building nearby they might want to think about housing Sangakkara's arm guard, or a wicketkeeping glove, for future generations to witness.

Or perhaps the faithful will simply head to Asgiriya, the Trinity school ground where Sangakkara learned his game. They still talk of him fondly there, although that is probably the case in the smallest tea house - even the ones he has never set foot in.

"I've been in Kandy since I was small," he said afterwards. "I went to school here, I grew up here. I'm especially thankful to Kandy, my school, my friends, my teachers, and coaches. Today one of the sons of my Year 2 teacher had come to the presentation. I have great memories of growing up here, and it's those experiences that have helped me to develop to this stage."

Rather than a leader, Sangakkara said he was a servant of the fans who had turned up to cheer him and Sri Lanka to victory. "I'm especially thankful for the love and support they've shown me. As cricketers, even if we sign our contracts with Sri Lanka Cricket, our real contract is with the Sri Lankan public. We play for them. I'm grateful that so many people have come here for my last match and supported the team. When your cricket life ends, you have to go. That's not something any sportsperson can escape. My time is right."

After his 91 in defeat at Pallekele during the week, England knew they were in the hall of the mountain king. Twice in the series so far, he has picked out catchers with a hundred in his sights but the one opportunity he granted on this occasion came on 41, a miscued drive to mid-off that somehow popped out of Alastair Cook's grasp. The offering was gratefully accepted.

He was otherwise as sure-footed as ever, striding out to hit against the spin of Moeen Ali, effortlessly flicking Chris Jordan off his pads. With the gloves, he took four catches, extending his world record for ODI dismissals. He appealed for lbws with the vigour of a man half his 37 years of age. When a Joe Root edge flew between him and Mahela Jayawardene at slip, they dived towards each other like mirror images and shared a grin that said they are almost that close. The light is fading for both.

He is right about knowing the time to go. This is the fourth year in a row he has tallied more than 1000 ODI runs. He is currently the leading run-scorer in Tests. He scored an unbeaten half-century to lead his country to the World T20 title in his final match. Kings choose their own destiny and right now Sri Lankan cricket beats to the sound of a Kandyan drum.