International career
Balapuwaduge Kusal Gimhan Mendis was born on 2 February 1995. He plays cricket for Sri Lanka in all formats: Tests, ODIs, and T20s. Before joining the national team, he had played just sixteen first-class matches. In November 2017, Sri Lanka Cricket named him the best ODI batsman for the 2016–17 season. At one point, he also served as captain of the Sri Lankan ODI team.
2014–2015
- Captained Sri Lanka in the 2014 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
- Made Test debut in October 2015 vs West Indies at Colombo. Scored 13 and 39 runs.
2016
- Named in Sri Lanka squad for England tour. Scored maiden Test half-century (53 runs) in second innings.
- Made ODI debut on June 16 against Ireland, scored maiden ODI fifty.
- Made T20I debut on July 5 against England.
2016–2018
- July 2016: Scored first Test century against Australia, youngest Sri Lankan to do so at home. Man of the Match.
- Played key role in Tri-series in Zimbabwe, scoring 94 vs West Indies, helping Sri Lanka win the series. Player of the Series award.
- Early 2017: Scored second Test century against Bangladesh.
- March 2017: Scored maiden ODI century vs Bangladesh; match ended no result.
- June 2017: Scored 89 vs India in ICC Champions Trophy, contributing to highest chase in tournament history.
- June 2017: Passed 1,000 ODI runs, joint second-fastest Sri Lankan to do so.
- 2018: Scored 196 runs in Test vs Bangladesh on his 23rd birthday, second Sri Lankan to be dismissed in 190s twice.
- 2018: Scored match-winning T20I half-centuries in two matches vs Bangladesh, helping Sri Lanka win series 2-0. Man of the Match and Player of the Series.
2018–2020
- Struggled during 2018 Asia Cup, dismissed for zero in both matches vs Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
- Dropped from England tour but recalled for ODI series, scored a quick 50 after 24 innings without one.
- Late 2018: Scored sixth Test century vs New Zealand; helped build record unbeaten partnership with Angelo Mathews.
- 2018: Reached 1,000 Test runs in calendar year, second player after Virat Kohli to do so.
- 2018: Played important role in Test series win over South Africa, scoring a crucial 50 in final Test; named Man of the Match.
- April 2019: Named in Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad.
- September 2019: Scored 79 runs in first T20I vs New Zealand; suffered knee injury during second T20I.
- January 2020: Scored 80 and unbeaten 116 in Test series vs Zimbabwe, helping Sri Lanka win series 1-0.
- February 2020: Scored second ODI century vs West Indies, part of 239-run partnership; Sri Lanka won by 161 runs.
2021
- June 2021: Suspended for one year due to breaching bio-secure bubble during England tour; ban lifted early in January 2022.
- April 2021: Appointed vice-captain for ODI series vs Bangladesh and T20 series vs England; dropped from vice-captaincy in September.
2022–2023
- February 2022: Scored unbeaten 69 in T20I vs Australia, named Man of the Match.
- May 2022: Hospitalized for chest discomfort during Test vs Bangladesh; diagnosed with muscle spasms.
- July 2022: Scored 85 in second Test vs Australia, part of 152-run partnership.
- September 2022: Scored several T20I half-centuries including match-winning 60 vs Bangladesh and 57 vs India.
- 2022 Asia Cup: Opened innings, made important partnerships and match-winning 60 vs Bangladesh.
- October–November 2022: Scored multiple T20I half-centuries in T20 World Cup; reached 1,000 T20I runs.
- January 2023: Scored 50+ in T20I vs India.
- March–April 2023: Scored fastest Test half-century and 87 runs vs New Zealand; scored maiden Test double-century (245 runs) vs Ireland; named Player of the Series.
- December 2022: Recalled as ODI vice-captain for 2023 India tour.
2023
- Scored 26th ODI half-century vs South Africa in World Cup.
- October 2023: Scored third ODI century (122 runs) vs Pakistan.
- Appointed ODI captain after Dasun Shanaka injury in 2023 World Cup; mixed results as captain.
2024–Present
- T20I series vs Bangladesh: Highest run-scorer with 181 runs in three matches, including two fifties.
- Named in Sri Lanka squad for 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
- September 2024: Scored 10th Test century vs New Zealand, unbeaten partnership in 602-run innings; Sri Lanka won series 2-0.
- October 2024: Scored unbeaten 68 in T20I vs West Indies, helping Sri Lanka win series 2-1; won Man of the Match.
Leagues Participation
Kusal Mendis has played in several top T20 leagues around the world. He has been part of popular tournaments like the Lanka Premier League, SA20, Pakistan Super League, and the Indian Premier League.
Lanka Premier League
Kusal Mendis has been an active player in the Lanka Premier League since its first edition in 2020. Over the years, he has played for different teams and even captained the Dambulla Aura in 2023. In 2024, he played for the Jaffna Kings and showed strong performance in fantasy cricket games.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2020
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Kandy Tuskers
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Drafted for the inaugural edition
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2021
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Galle Gladiators
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Selected in players’ draft
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2022
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Galle Gladiators
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Signed for the third edition
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2023
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Dambulla Aura
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Served as team captain; tournament held July 30 - August 20
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2024
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Jaffna Kings
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Played with strong fantasy cricket ratings; team won the final by 9 wickets
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SA20
In February 2023, Kusal Mendis joined the Pretoria Capitals for the SA20 cricket tournament in South Africa. He made a notable impact by scoring 80 runs off 41 balls against the Paarl Royals, earning the player of the match award as his team won by 59 runs.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2023
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Pretoria Capitals
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Scored 80 runs from 41 balls vs Paarl Royals; won player of the match; team won by 59 runs
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Pakistan Super League
As of May 2025, Kusal Mendis played in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for the Quetta Gladiators as a wicketkeeper-batter. He scored 143 runs in five matches with a high score of 168. However, by the end of May, he left the PSL due to security concerns and moved to join the Gujarat Titans for the IPL 2025.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2025
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Quetta Gladiators
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Played 5 matches, scored 143 runs; left due to security concerns
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Indian Premier League
Kusal Mendis, a Sri Lankan professional cricketer, joined the Gujarat Titans (GT) for the IPL 2025 season. He moved to the IPL after leaving the Pakistan Super League due to security concerns in late May 2025.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2025
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Gujarat Titans
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Joined after leaving PSL over security issues
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Domestic career
Kusal Mendis started his domestic cricket career in 2013 with Sri Lanka A in List A matches. He played his first first-class match in January 2015 for Bloomfield Cricket Club. His first T20 game was in April 2015. In 2013, he was named schoolboy cricketer of the year. He also captained the national youth team and his school team, Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa.
He played for teams like Dambulla and Galle in provincial tournaments from 2018. In the 2018 SLC T20 League, Mendis scored the most runs for Galle. In the 2019–20 Premier League Tournament, he scored 139 runs in a match against Ragama Cricket Club. In 2020, he scored his first double-century in a first-class match for Colombo Cricket Club against Nondescripts Cricket Club. He also scored 157 runs in another match against Chilaw Marians Cricket Club that ended in a draw.
Mendis keeps playing domestic cricket with matches recorded up to March 2025 in first-class and May 2025 in T20 formats.
Records and achievements
Kusal Mendis has achieved many records and awards during his cricket career. He scored 14 international centuries, with 10 in Test matches and 5 in One Day Internationals (ODIs). His performance in domestic leagues and international matches shows strong batting skills and some unique records.
- 2013
- Named "Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year" for his excellent performance at Prince of Wales College.
- 2016-2017
- Awarded "ODI Batsman of the Year" by Sri Lanka Cricket Board for the 2016-17 season.
- Lanka Premier League (LPL) Career
- Scored 1,076 runs in 38 matches.
- Highest score: 87 runs.
- Batting average: 29.88.
- Strike rate: 131.70.
- Scored 8 half-centuries.
- Hit 98 fours and 42 sixes.
- Test Cricket Records
- Holds 4 consecutive ducks, the fourth highest number among Test players.
- ODI Records
- Has 3 consecutive ducks, ranking 6th for most consecutive ducks in ODIs.
- Achieved the 10th highest strike rate in an ODI innings at 311.11.
- Scored 245 runs in a match against Ireland on April 24, 2023.
- Other Batting Records
- Ranked 10th for highest strike rates per innings in ODIs.
- Second highest number of sixes hit per innings in ODIs.
Personal life
Kusal Mendis leads a life that often attracts public attention, both for his cricket achievements and personal events. His family, finances, and occasional controversies have been part of his story outside the cricket field.
Family
In July 2020, Mendis was involved in a serious road accident in Panadura that resulted in the death of an elderly cyclist. He was arrested but later released on bail. On February 12, 2021, he married his wife in Colombo. In June 2022, the couple welcomed a baby girl.
Finance
Kusal Mendis' estimated net worth is between 1 and 3 million US dollars.
Scandals
In July 2021, Mendis, along with teammates Danushka Gunathilaka and Niroshan Dickwella, broke bio-secure bubble rules during Sri Lanka's England tour. This led to their early return home, a one-year international ban, a six-month domestic ban, and fines of 10 million Sri Lankan Rupees each. In December 2023, he broke a glass door at the Bloomfield Cricket Club pavilion after getting out for zero runs in a club match. In March 2024, while captaining an ODI against Bangladesh, Mendis was fined for verbally abusing umpires after the match. In July 2020, the fatal road accident remained a serious issue with police involvement.
Fans
Kusal Mendis has about 223,000 followers on Instagram.
