Kusal Mendis is a prominent Sri Lankan cricketer known for his right-handed batting and wicketkeeping skills. He was born on February 2, 1995, and has been a key top-order batsman for Sri Lanka across all formats since his international debut in 2015.
Kusal Mendis made history by becoming the first-ever overseas player to make his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut in the playoffs. He debuted for Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2025 Eliminator match against Mumbai Indians on May 30, 2025, replacing Jos Buttler at the No. 3 batting position.
Mendis, a former Sri Lankan captain, became the second Sri Lankan to represent Gujarat Titans after Dasun Shanaka. His debut was notable but challenging; he dropped two crucial catches behind the stumps and was dismissed in a rare and unfortunate manner—hit wicket—making him the first player ever to be dismissed hit wicket in an IPL playoff match and the first to be out this way on IPL debut.
Career Highlights and Achievements
- Scored a breakthrough Test innings of 176 against Australia in 2016, becoming the youngest Sri Lankan to score a century against Australia and helping Sri Lanka to a historic 3-0 series whitewash.
- Holds the record for the most sixes (11) by a Sri Lankan batsman in a single Test innings, achieved during his highest Test score of 245 against Ireland in 2023.
- Has scored over 10,000 international runs across formats, making him one of Sri Lanka’s leading run-scorers in the modern era.
- Nominated for the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year award in 2024.
- Served as Sri Lanka’s captain during the 2023 ODI World Cup after the injury of the regular captain, demonstrating leadership at the senior level.
Career Statistics
| Format | Matches | Runs | HS | Average | 100s | 50s | Strike-rate |
| Tests | 71 | 4668 | 245 | 36.75 | 10 | 21 | 58.26 |
| ODIs | 143 | 4429 | 143 | 34.60 | 5 | 33 | 87.25 |
| T20s | 78 | 1920 | 86 | 25.60 | 0 | 15 | 131.68 |
He has also contributed as a wicketkeeper with catches and stumpings across formats.
Additional Notes
- Mendis has played for various franchise teams including Kandy Tuskers, Galle Gladiators, Dambulla Aura, and Pretoria Capitals, performing notably in tournaments like SA20.
- His career has seen challenges, including a suspension in 2021 for breaching bio-secure protocols and a serious road accident in 2020, but he has shown resilience by returning strongly to international cricket.
Also Read: Top 5 players with most runs in IPL playoffs
Despite the difficult debut, Mendis scored 20 runs off 10 balls, including a four and two sixes, helping Gujarat Titans recover after an early wicket. However, his fielding errors and bizarre dismissal overshadowed his batting contribution in the high-stakes playoff game.
