Updated at: 1505 PST, Friday, April 01, 2011
India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a star of countless TV commercials, and Kumar Sangakkara, the well-heeled son of a Sri Lankan lawyer, will be at the heart of Saturday's World Cup final action.For the first time in the history of tournament finals, the two captains are also the wicket keepers.Sangakkara is relishing the challenge that his triple role as captain, batsman and keeper brings."Wicketkeepers, sometimes everyone says they are over-burdened and it's not the easiest job. But it's also the most fun, I think, when you are always involved," he said.Dhoni's job is the same as Sangakkara but his way of going about things is different.MSD, as he is popularly known, keeps his emotions in check despite the cauldron-like situation that faces his team due to the expectations of millions of cricket-crazy fans."Dhoni is a very fine captain and hasn't been known to crack even in extreme situations," says former Pakistan captain and current manager Intikhab Alam."He lives up to his image of being composed throughout. He promotes himself when needed, which shows he's positive. Sangakkara is the really thinking type and is comfortable leading from the front."Off the field too, Sangakkara is more articulate and eloquent, a trait inherited from his lawyer father who ensured that his son took time out from his busy cricket schedule to study law.The youngest of four siblings, Sangakkara showed early signs of leadership as head prefect at the prestigious Trinity College.Despite showing a talent for tennis, it was the college principal who advised his mother to encourage her son to pursue cricket.Sangakkara was always tipped to succeed former skipper Mahela Jayawardena, thanks to his consistent form with the bat and ability behind the wickets.Married to his longtime girlfriend Yehali, 33-year-old Sangakkara is the proud father of twins - a girl and a boy.Dhoni, 29, is less polished, sometimes bordering on the blunt, but it is not something that counts against him."I was impressed in the manner he admitted that he misread the pitch," former Pakistan captain Imran Khan said after Dhoni told the media he was wrong in his assessment of Mohali wicket that hosted the India-Pakistan semi-final.Unlike Sangakkara's privileged upbringing, Dhoni, the son of a steel factory worker, clawed his way up from India's backwaters, squeezing in a college degree amid his cricketing duties.Dhoni was a shock choice to lead the national team after Sourav Ganguly's tumultous reign ended in 2007.But his calm demeanour - and an endorsement from batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar - worked in his favour.Multi-millionaire Dhoni, a regular fixture of TV commercials where he endorses ceiling fans to high-end property, broke the hearts of his legion of female admirers when he married girlfriend Sakshi in 2010."Dhoni is a quiet customer off the field but definitely has a charismatic presence on it," says former England player-turned pundit Jonathan Agnew"Sangakkara is a class act on and off the field. He is polished, speaks beautifully to the media and is a player of the highest quality."
