Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis named ICC Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2024
(Courtesy : ICC)
Kamindu Mendis scored 1451 runs in international cricket in 2024.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), on Sunday, January 26, 2025 announced the winner of the ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2024. Sri Lanka middle-order batsman Kamindu Mendis received the award for his outstanding performances in the year across formats.
In a remarkable year, the 26-year-old became the joint-third quickest to score 1,000 runs in test cricket, matching Sir Don Bradman’s 13-innings record to reach the milestone.
Mendis finished as Sri Lanka’s highest run-scorer in their three-match test series in England. His outstanding performance helped the Lankans secure their first win in England in a decade.
Kamindu Mendis’ performance in 2024
Mendis starred for Sri Lanka in 2024 scoring 1451 in international cricket across formats at an average of over 50. Having made just one test appearance before 2024, his performances in the year established his place in the Sri Lankan squad across all formats.
The southpaw was one of the six batters to score over 1000 test runs in 2024. His excellent tally in 2024 five centuries and three fifties.
After receiving the award, Mendis expressed his gratitude for receiving the award and thanked his family, teammates, and coaches.
Mendis said, “I am really happy to be the Emerging Player of the Year. It means a lot to me. I would like to thank my family, my coaches, and my teammates,” to ICC.
When asked about his favorite innings of 2024, Mendis highlighted his 113-run knock against England in Manchester as his best performance. He mentioned that scoring runs in England is challenging, and he takes pride in his achievement.
He added, “The innings I am most proud of was my century against England because, in England, you can’t score a hundred easily, so it was hard work.“
“I put a lot of hard work in the nets and training. As a team, we really worked hard and got great performances last year.“
Sri Lanka will be hoping for Mendis to deliver in their upcoming two-match test series against Australia, starting January 29.
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