Who is Kamindu Mendis? All you need to know about Sri Lanka's ambidextrous bowler

Kamindu Mendis bowls finger spin with both his right and left hand.

Kamindu Mendis, the Sri Lankan all-rounder, has always been a unique commodity in international cricket. This is because he is one of the few ambidextrous bowlers in international cricket, who can bowl with both left and right hand equally well.

Mendis was seen bowling with both his right and left hand during the first T20I between Sri Lanka and India which was played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on July 27, 2024.

After winning the toss, the Lankan Lions captain Charith Asalanka sent the Men in Blue to bat first. With the Indian hitters pounding the Sri Lankan bowlers from the start, viewers at the stadium witnessed a unique sight: the young Kamindu Mendis demonstrated his ambidextrous bowling skills.

Mendis bowled only one over for Sri Lanka in the match, the 10th over of the Indian innings. The spinner attracted the crowd’s attention by switching bowling arms within the same over, which is uncommon in international cricket.

Mendis bowled left-handed against Suryakumar Yadav but changed to right-handed against Rishabh Pant. Mendis only bowled one over during the game, allowing nine runs. Suryakumar smashed him for four on the opening ball, but he consolidated nicely and finished his over neatly.

Who is Kamindu Mendis?

This is not the first time Kamindu Mendis has wowed the audience with his ability to bowl finger spin with both hands. Mendis first came into the limelight when he played in the U19 World Cup for Sri Lanka in 2016 and bowled with both hands during the tournament that was held in Bangladesh.

Mendis was 13 when his coach reportedly suggested that he bowl right-arm spin alongside the left-arm spin that came naturally to him. He was born in Galle in 1998

His first international callu-p for Sri Lanka came in 2018 when at the age of 20, Mendis was included for the England T20I match. During the match, he bowled off-breaks to the left-handed Eoin Morgan, and left-arm orthodox to the right-handed Joe Root, as he usually prefers to.

Thus far, Mendis has played three tests, seven ODIs, and eight T20Is for Sri Lanka and was part of the Sri Lanka squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup as well.

*Stats and numbers updated till 28th July, 2024.

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