Kusal Mendis

Could the 2019 World Cup be when Mendis shows some consistency in ODI cricket?

The Cricketer | 04/05/2019 at 14:37

Born: February 2, 1995

Role: Right-hand bat, wicketkeeper

Highly rated from a young age, Kusal Mendis was named Sri Lankan Schoolboy of the Year in 2013 and awarded the captaincy of the under-19s for the 2014 World Cup campaign.

His first senior international cap soon followed in 2015 at the age of 20 against the West Indies as Kumar Sangakarra’s replacement and he went on to score his maiden Test ton, an imperious 176 against Australia at Kandy, aged just 21.

Naturally aggressive, Mendis slotted naturally into Sri Lanka’s limited overs sides but has so far failed to find his feet with just the one century in more than 60 innings at a very modest average in ODIs in the high 20s.

While Mendis’ numbers clearly belie his natural talent in the 50-over format, he is still only 24 and has plenty of time to reach his potential at the top level.

Could the 2019 World Cup be when Mendis shows some consistency in ODI cricket?

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