Kusal Mendis

Balapuwaduge Kusal Gimhan Mendis, popularly known as Kusal Mendis is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer who plays as a top-order batter in all forms of the game and current captain of national ODI team.

He only played sixteen first-class matches before playing for the national side.

In August 1998, Mendis was named in Galle's squad the 2018 SLC T20 League.

He was the leading run-scorer for Galle in the tournament, with 182 runs in six matches.

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.

He was the 132nd Test player for Sri Lanka, gaining his cap during the second Test of Sobers-Tissera Trophy.

Mendis captained Sri Lanka's squad for the 2014 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

He made his Test debut in the 2nd Test of West Indies tour of Sri Lanka 2015, scoring 13 runs in the first innings and 39 runs in the second innings.

Mendis 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.

Mendis made his One Day International (ODI) debut against Ireland on 16 June 2016, scoring his maiden ODI fifty.

Mendis made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut for Sri Lanka against England on 5 July 2016 in the same tour.

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.

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 a single run and Mendis was adjudged man of the match for his batting.

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.

On the first Test against Bangladesh at Galle, Mendis scored his second Test century, just falling short 6 runs for his double hundred.

His score of 194, before he was caught by Tamim Iqbal.

In November 2017, he was named the One Day International (ODI) batsman of the year for the 2016–17 season at Sri Lanka Cricket's annual awards.

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 with a no result, due to heavy rain.

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.

In the match, Sri Lanka chased 321 runs scored by India, by recording the highest successful run chase in Champion's Trophy history.

In March 2018, Mendis was named in Dambulla's squad for the 2017–18 Super Four Provincial Tournament.

The following month, he was also named in Dambulla's squad for the 2018 Super Provincial One Day Tournament.

In March 2019, he was named in Galle's squad for the 2019 Super Provincial One Day Tournament.

During the 2019–20 Premier League Tournament, Mendis scored 139 against Ragama Cricket Club, and the match was won by an innings and 125 runs.

Mendis scored his maiden first-class double century against Nondescripts Cricket Club.

His unbeaten double-century helped to draw the match.

In the final match against Chilaw Marians Cricket Club, Mendis scored another century, with 157 runs.

In October 2020, Mendis was drafted by the Kandy Tuskers for the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League.

In November 2021, he was selected to play for the Galle Gladiators following the players' draft for the 2021 Lanka Premier League.

In July 2022, he was signed by the Galle Gladiators for the third edition of the Lanka Premier League.

On 7 February 2023, in SA20 against Paarl Royals, Mendis scored 80 runs from 41 deliveries hitting 8 boundaries and four sixes.

Due to his knock Pretoria Capitals won the match by 59 runs and Mendis won the player of the match award.