Kusal Mendis

Kusal Mendis
කුසල් මෙන්ඩිස්
Personal information
Full name Balapuwaduge Kusal Gimhan Mendis
Born (1995-02-02) 2 February 1995
Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Batting Right-handed
Bowling Right-arm leg spin
Role Batsman, wicket-keeper
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 132) 22 October 2015 v West Indies
Last Test 20 July 2018 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 170) 16 June 2016 v Ireland
Last ODI 17 September 2018 v Afghanistan
ODI shirt no. 02
T20I debut (cap 66) 5 July 2016 v England
Last T20I 14 August 2018 v South Africa
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2015–2017 Bloomfield C&AC
2017–present C.C.C
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC
Matches 29 49 15 44
Runs scored 2,060 1,325 332 2,827
Batting average 36.78 29.44 22.13 36.24
100s/50s 5/6 1/11 0/4 6/9
Top score 196 102 70 196
Balls bowled 78 20 - 150
Wickets 1 0 - 2
Bowling average 55.00 – – 41.00
5 wickets in innings 0 0 – –
10 wickets in match 0 0 – –
Best bowling 1/10 – – 1/10
Catches/stumpings 44/0 25/0 3/0 62/8
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 17 September 2018

Balapuwaduge Kusal Gimhan Mendis, known as Kusal Mendis (Sinhalese: කුසල් මෙන්ඩිස්; born 2 February 1995) is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer who plays for all forms of the game.[1] He only played sixteen first-class matches before playing for the national side. He usually bats at number three in all formats. In November 2017, he was named the One Day International batsman of the year for the 2016–17 season at Sri Lanka Cricket's annual awards.[2]

Early and domestic career

Mendis was adjudged the 2013 schoolboy cricketer of the year and had captained the national youth and the Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa teams in his formative years.[1][3][4]

In March 2018, he was named in Dambulla's squad for the 2017–18 Super Four Provincial Tournament.[5][6] The following month, he was also named in Dambulla's squad for the 2018 Super Provincial One Day Tournament.[7]

In August 2018, he was named in Galle's squad the 2018 SLC T20 League.[8] He was the leading run-scorer for Galle in the tournament, with 182 runs in six matches.[9]

International career

Debut years

He captained Sri Lanka's squad for the 2014 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He was the 132nd Test player for Sri Lanka, gaining his cap during the second Test of Sobers-Tissera Trophy. He made his Test debut in 2nd Test of West Indies tour of Sri Lanka 2015, scoring 13 runs in the first innings and 39 runs in second innings.[10]

He was named in the Sri Lanka squad for the tour of England, and in the first Test he scored a duck in the first innings, but in the second innings he scored his maiden test half-century with 53 runs.

He made his One Day International (ODI) debut against Ireland on 16 June 2016, scoring his maiden ODI fifty.[11] Mendis made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut for Sri Lanka against England on 5 July 2016 in the same tour.[12]

Making mark in international arena

On 28 July 2016, Mendis scored his maiden Test century during the first Test against Australia at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium. He became the youngest Sri Lankan to score a century against Australia and also the highest score against Australia on home soil.[13] Sri Lanka won the match by 106 runs, which was only their second Test win against Australia. Mendis won the Man of the Match award for his performance.

In the fifth match of the Tri-series in Zimbabwe against the West Indies, Mendis scored 94 runs. With his fifty and 94 runs by Niroshan Dickwella, Sri Lanka posted 330 runs off 50 overs, which was recorded as the highest total by Sri Lanka against the West Indies. Sri Lanka won the match by single run and Mendis was adjudged man of the match for his batting.[14] With this win Sri Lanka reached the final with Zimbabwe. In the final, Mendis scored another fifty, guiding the team to win the series by 6 wickets. His all-round performances in the series gave him his first player of the series award.[15]

On the first Test against Bangladesh at Galle, Mendis scored his second Test century, just fall short 6 runs for his double hundred. His score of 194, before he was caught by Tamim Iqbal.[16][17]

On 28 March 2017, in the second ODI against Bangladesh at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Mendis scored his maiden ODI century, with 102 runs. However, the match ended as a no result, due to heavy rain.[18]

On 8 June 2017 against India in 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, Mendis scored a match-winning 89 runs to seal the match for Sri Lanka.[19] In the match, Sri Lanka chased 321 runs scored by India, by recording the highest successful run chase in Champion's Trophy history. He along with Danushka Gunathilaka stood 159-run stand for the second wicket and helped to reach the mark.[20] This was Sri Lanka's joint-highest chase, and their first successful 300-plus chase since the 2015 World Cup as well.[21]

On 30 June 2017 against Zimbabwe, Mendis passed 1,000 ODI runs, becoming the joint second-fastest (with Tharanga) for Sri Lanka to achieve this.[22]

During the first Test against Bangladesh in 2018, Mendis scored his fourth Test hundred. His hundred came on the third day of the match, which was on his 23rd birthday. Mendis along with Dhananjaya de Silva scored 308-run partnership to the second wicket until De Silva dismissed for 173 runs. However, Mendis was dismissed for 196 runs, four runs short of his maiden double century just before the tea break.[23][24][25] Mendis' career-best score of 196, however, made him the second Sri Lankan after Kumar Sangakkara to get out in the 190s at least twice.[26]

After good performances in Tests against Bangladesh, Mendis was named to the T20I squad for Sri Lanka by replacing injured Kusal Perera.[27] In the first match, he scored a match winning knock of 53 from 27 balls. Bangladesh scored 193 in their 20 overs, which is their highest T20I total. Mendis opened the innings with Danushka Gunathilaka and they added 53 for the first wicket in just 4.5 overs. Then Mendis scored his first T20I fifty and Sri Lanka won the match by 6 wickets. The chase of 193 is recorded as the highest T20I chase by Sri Lanka as well. Mendis adjudged man of the match, which is his first in T20Is.[28] In the second T20I, Mendis scored another match winning half century and Sri Lanka posted 210 in their 20 overs. This is Sri Lanka's highest T20I score against Bangladesh. Finally Sri Lanka won the match and series 2-0 and Mendis was awarded with both man of the match and player of the series.[29][30]

In May 2018, he was one of 33 cricketers to be awarded a national contract by Sri Lanka Cricket ahead of the 2018–19 season.[31][32]

International awards

  • Dialog SLC Future Cricketer of the Year 2015-16.[33]
  • Dialog SLC ODI Batsman of the year 2016-17.[34]

References

  1. 1 2 "Kusal Mendis". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "Gunaratne wins big at SLC's annual awards". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  3. ↑ "Australia v Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis ton leads fightback, puts heat on Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  4. ↑ "Cambrian Kusal Mendis Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year". The Sunday Observer. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  5. ↑ "Cricket: Mixed opinions on Provincial tournament". Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 26 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  6. ↑ "All you need to know about the SL Super Provincial Tournament". Daily Sports. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  7. ↑ "SLC Super Provincial 50 over tournament squads and fixtures". The Papare. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  8. ↑ "SLC T20 League 2018 squads finalized". The Papare. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  9. ↑ "SLC T20 League, 2018 - Galle, Batting and bowling averages". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "2nd Test Sri Lanka v West Indies". 22 October 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Sri Lanka tour of England and Ireland, 1st ODI: Ireland v Sri Lanka at Dublin (Malahide), Jun 16, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "Sri Lanka tour of England and Ireland, Only T20I: England v Sri Lanka at Southampton, Jul 5, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  13. ↑ "Second-youngest to score 150-plus against Australia". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  14. ↑ "Sri Lanka survive Lewis' 148 for thrilling win". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  15. ↑ "Mendis, Tharanga steer Sri Lanka to title". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  16. ↑ "Mendis 166* headlines Sri Lanka dominance". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  17. ↑ "Bangladesh begin well in reply to Sri Lanka's 494". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  18. ↑ "Rain thwarts SL's chances after Mendis ton". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  19. ↑ "India's winning rhythm disrupted by young papare batting beat". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  20. ↑ "Gunathilaka, Mendis power Sri Lanka in record chase". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  21. ↑ "Gunathilaka announces his arrival". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  22. ↑ "Mendis, Tharanga fifties propel SL to 316". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  23. ↑ "Dhananjaya, Mendis lead strong Sri Lanka reply". ESPN Cricinfo. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  24. ↑ "Mendis and Dhananjaya battle adversity to keep Sri Lanka afloat". ESPN Cricinfo. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  25. ↑ "Sri Lanka pile on the runs and eye big lead". ESPN Cricinfo. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  26. ↑ "Want to give Kusal Mendis every opportunity - Samaraweera". ESPN Cricinfo. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  27. ↑ "Kusal Mendis to replace injured Kusal Perera in T20s". ESPN Cricinfo. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  28. ↑ "Kusal Mendis, Thisara Perera overpower Bangladesh". ESPN Cricinfo. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  29. ↑ "Mendis stars in thumping win as SL sweep tour". ESPN Cricinfo. 18 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  30. ↑ "Mendis has grabbed all opportunities as opener - Chandimal". ESPN Cricinfo. 18 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  31. ↑ "Sri Lanka assign 33 national contracts with pay hike". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  32. ↑ "Sri Lankan players to receive pay hike". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  33. ↑ "Dialog Cricket Awards 2016: List of award winners". Cricket Machan. 1 December 2016.
  34. ↑ "Herath and Gunaratne triumph Dialog Cricket Awards 2017". cricinfo. 1 November 2017.
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