but if we click we can do wonders as a team. Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai: I thought we were 10 or 15 runs short

Ive seen plenty of world champions go -- and in some cases, come back again -- but never have I witnessed a departure like this one.The world of F1 media spent Friday reeling as schedules, plans and programmes were swept aside by the news from Vienna. No one saw it coming. In a business driven by rumour accelerated into inaccurate fact by social media, there had not been a single suggestion that Nico Rosberg would make the trophy he craved most his last.The new world champions exhausted state in the Abu Dhabi media centre on Sunday evening said two things. Here was an indication of the intense pressure, not just during the final 10 laps as his lifes work had come under a threat he could do little about, but of a mental battle that had actually begun with recovery from the crushing defeat by Lewis Hamilton in the U.S. Grand Prix in September 2015.And despite the appearance of fatigue, there was a feeling that once the relief of finally achieving that dream had been realised over the coming hours and days, Rosberg was going to march into 2017 more confident than before with the crown on his head and the monkey off his back.As it turns out, the one thought in his mind was getting back his life with his wife sitting quietly and happily among the journalists in the audience. Vivian knew he was likely to retire. But no one else had an inkling at that stage. Not even his father as I later chatted to Keke and recalled Las Vegas 34 years before when the first Rosberg name went on the championship trophy his boy had just won the right to hold.Keke knew all about the stress Nico had been under earlier that evening. He was familiar with the fallacy of not needing to win and only score points supposedly making the race comparatively straightforward. In Las Vegas, Keke only required two more points; fifth place being good enough on 25 September 1982.You cant believe how difficult that is, Keke recalled. There were concrete walls all round that stupid track and you were afraid of someone doing something stupid and pushing you into one. Your nerves are raw. Mario [Andretti] had a suspension failure and [his Ferrari] nearly hit me. That would have been it. Championship gone! I could hardly watch the last few laps today. I knew exactly what Nico was going through. Now he can enjoy himself next year. Hes earned it after a season like this one.Nico, a man very much at ease in his own skin, was soon to decide that he had earned the right to something else. Whether he regrets that in three months or three years, or not at all, is irrelevant. It was a brave decision, one that will later spare us the frequent discomfort of watching a former champion continue to fight the passing of years as well as hungry competitors almost half his age.Rosberg, in turn, will not have any concern over the easy but inevitable social media sneers about a championship won only because of Lewiss bad luck. The championship was over 21 races, the winner being the driver with the most points. Luck does play a part; Keke will admit that. But there is no asterisk listing caveats by his name on the championship trophy. And there will be none against the winner 34 places higher on the silverware.Lewis Hamilton may be the fastest man out there, but Nico Rosberg is the 2016 world champion. He applied himself and worked exceptionally hard for it. He deserves that accolade just as much as respect for making such a dignified exit. Custom Dolphins T-shirts . They were putting most of their energy into a record-setting offensive display. Authentic Custom Dolphins Jersey .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. http://www.customdolphinsjersey.com/ .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. Cheap Custom Dolphins Jersey . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. Christian Wilkins Jersey Large .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach.Reigning World T20 champions Sri Lanka coped with the absence of injured Lasith Malinga as Tillakaratne Dilshan inspired the side to a six-wicket win over qualifiers Afghanistan in Kolkata. Rangana Herath (2-24) took up the mantle with the ball after Malinga, afflicted by a knee strain in recent months, missed out on selection, with Afghanistan posting 153-7 thanks largely to captain Asghar Stanikzais career-best 62 off 47 balls.Dilshan (83no from 56) then collected his 13th fifty in T20I cricket - a record he shares with Chris Gayle (West Indies), Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) and Virat Kohli (India) - and mowed three sixes as Sri Lanka eased home with seven balls to spare following the openers pull for four.Afghanistans innings hinged on Stanikzai after beefy opener Mohammad Shahzad, fresh from totals of 61, 41, and 40 in the qualification stage, holed out for eight and Mohammad Nabi, who hit 52 last time out against Zimbabwe, went lbw for three to leave the score on 51-4.Stanikzai clobbered back-to-back sixes off slow left-armer Milinda Siriwardana in the 13th over and four maximums in total, the 29-year-old sharing a stand of 61 from 31 balls with Samiullah Shenwari (31 from 14) for the fifth wicket while amassing his highest score in T20I cricket. Asghar Stanikzai hit four sixes in his career-best 62 Stanikzai perished attempting a ramp shot - becoming one of Thisara Pereras (3-33) scalps - but helped his side biff 104 runs from the final 10 overs, with Najibullah Zadran (12no from three) adding gloss at the death with a monstrous six over cover and a meaty four through the same region. Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal (18) , though, unleashed some lavish strokes of their own - the former nailing a six over fine leg with his famed Dil-scoop - as Sri Lanka put on 41 for the first wicket before Nabi had Chandimal pouched at midwicket from his second delivery.dddddddddddd.Sri Lanka teased a wobble when Lahiru Thirimanne (six) dragged teenage spinner Rashid Khan on, wicketkeeper Shahzad ran out Perera (12) and Nabi ousted Chamara Kapugedera (10) off his own bowling by flicking Dilshans straight drive onto the non-strikers wicket.But skipper Mathews backed up his economical work with the ball (1-17) by supporting Dilshan with an enterprising late cameo with the blade (21no from 10), although Afghanistan - in the Super 10s for the first time in their history - were left to rue some sloppy ground fielding during an otherwise valiant display. Sri Lanka celebrate the wicket of Mohammad Shahzad Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews: It was a much-needed victory for us as we havent played well in the recent past. Our bowlers did well except for two big overs and we were positive from the word go with the bat. We are not looking too far ahead but if we click we can do wonders as a team. Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai: I thought we were 10 or 15 runs short with our total, although Dilshan played very well for Sri Lanka and showed a lot of responsibility. We also made mistakes with our fielding, so hopefully we can improve that in our next game.Sky pundit and England seamer James Anderson: I thought Afghanistan got a lesson in how to chase down a total from Dilshan - he showed all his experience and skill by taking on low risk shots all the way through a chanceless innings. It was great to watch.Sri Lanka and Afghanistan return to World T20 action on Sunday, with the former tackling Englands conqerors West Indies in Bangalore (1.30pm, Sky Sports 2) after Afghanistan battle South Africa in Mumbai (9am, Sky Sports 2). You can watch both games for £6.99 with a NOW TV Day Pass. ' ' '