A Marlon Samuels-inspired West Indies recovered from an awful start to beat Sri Lanka and win the World Twenty20.

The hosts looked to be in control in Colombo when the Windies managed only 32 from the first 10 overs, with Chris Gayle taking 16 balls to make three.

But Samuels smashed six sixes in his 56-ball 78 to drag his side to 137-6.

Sri Lanka never got to grips with the chase and although Nuwan Kulasekara’s 13-ball 26 gave them hope, they were bowled out for 101 in the 19th over.

The defeat was Sri Lanka’s fourth in as many finals after losing the 2009 World T20 final to Pakistan, as well at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups to Australia and India respectively.

West Indies had not appeared in a showpiece game since ninth-wicket pair Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw added 71 to beat England in the 2004 Champions Trophy final, and this comeback was of a similar magnitude.

Darren Sammy’s men looked likely to be on the wrong end of a hammering as Sri Lanka’s new-ball bowlers applied vice-like pressure, pressure that eventually proved too much for the usually unflappable Gayle.

The left-hander was trapped lbw by Ajantha Mendis, with the spinner going on to benefit from two poor lbw decisions by Simon Taufel – who was umpiring his last game before retirement – on the way to figures of 4-12.

But Samuels arrived to dish out some brutal treatment to pace bowler Lasith Malinga, with one enormous straight six carrying high in to the top tier of the R Premadasa Stadium.

After he fell, caught in the deep off the bowling of 18-year-old Akila Dananjaya, the Windies were still able to take 29 from the final from the final 17 balls of the innings, skipper Sammy adding 26 from 15 deliveries.

Even then, Sri Lanka looked well placed to win a third tournament from the three they have hosted, but the Windies gathered more momentum when Ravi Rampaul produced a beautiful delivery to remove Tillakaratne Dilshan for a duck.

The hosts were able to turn to the experience of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene but, even though the captains past and present, were able to compile a stand of 42, the required run-rate was always rising.

With the spin of Samuels and Sunil Narine slowing the scoring, Sangakkara eventually dragged Samuel Badree into the hands of Kieron Pollard at deep mid-wicket.

Angelo Mathews departed quickly before Jayawardene, who had twice been dropped in the deep, buckled under the mounting task, top-edging a reverse sweep off Narine to Sammy.

That began a collapse that saw Sri Lanka lose four wickets for nine runs and, although Kulasekara showed some late fight, West Indies’ glory was sealed when Malinga was caught at long on off Narine.

The Windies formed together to dance on the square in celebration, celebrations that seemed unlikely before the intervention of the brilliant Samuels.