Colombo, Aug. 21: An abrupt end to the three-match ODI series between India and Sri Lanka saw the Indian team leaving Colombo on Monday. The players returned home in three batches.

Captain Rahul Dravid took an early morning flight home, while Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Mohammad Kaif and Suresh Raina left on a 3 pm New Delhi flight. The rest took the 6.45 pm plane from Colombo to Chennai.

The President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, had invited Team India to his house and the squad paid a visit in the morning. In the absence of Dravid, team manager Sanjay Jagdale led the delegation.

The Indian team arrived here on August 10 to play a triangular series that included South Africa along with the hosts. A blast in the city on August 14 prompted the Proteas to pull out of the tournament. The series was then changed to a three-match bilateral affair between Sri Lanka and India.

Thanks to rain only 22 balls were possible before the two cricket boards reached a consensus to cancel the series and reschedule it for a later date, with still one match to be played.