Sri Lanka on Monday included 20-year-old ambidextrous bowler Kamindu Mendis in its 15-member squad for the one-off Twenty20 match against England.
Mendis, who has played under-19 matches, was brought into the squad led by Thisara Perera for Saturday’s match at Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo under lights.
Bowling with right and left arm is not something any bowler has done in a full international before according to the game’s governing body, so we might see cricketing history being created soon.
“When I was young and starting cricket, I just practised both with my coaches,” Mendis had told ICC during the Under-19 World Cup in January this year. “Usually I do [bowl left-arm to a right hander and vice versa] but it depends on the situation.”
Mendis has already played two Under-19 world cups and was the captain of Sri Lanka in the latest edition.
Though he has gained popularity in cricketing circles for his ambidexterity, he is predominantly a batsman who can bowl. He has played junior cricket as a No 3 batsman predominantly. He was a half-centurion for Sri Lanka’s Board XI, making 61 off 72 balls, in a warm-up match against England recently, an occasion where his ambidextrous finger-spin also caught the eye once again. He bowled offbreaks to the left-handed Eoin Morgan, and left-arm orthodox to the right-handed Joe Root, as he usually prefers to.
He first shot to fame during the U-19 world cup in Bangladesh in 2016 as a 17-year-old.
He has now been fast-tracked into the first team despite having just played six List A matches and six T20s.
He was featured as one of the future stars of the game by ICC during the World Cup in New Zealan
Mendis was 13 when his coach reportedly suggested that he bowl right-arm spin alongside the left-arm spin that came naturally to him.
Apart from Mendis, India’s Akshay Karnewar and Pakistan’s Yasir Jan are the other ambidextrous bowlers in the men’s game. Among the women, Bangladesh’s Shaila Sharmin and Australia’s Barsby can bowl left- and right-arm.
Sri Lanka T20 squad: Thisara Perera (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Isuru Udana, Lasith Malinga, Akila Dhananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha, Lakshan Sandakan and Nuwan Pradeep.
With AFP inputs
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