Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe, ICC World T20 Group C match, Hambantota (Sep 18, 2012)
Sri Lanka vs Netherlands, ICC World T20 2014
In Photos: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup Match 7 at Mirpur
Ajantha Mendis is a Sri Lankan ‘mystery’ spinner who became an instant superstar when he cleaned a powerful Indian batting line-up out with a splendid spell of 6 for 13 in the final of Asia Cup in 2008. He possesses the ability to bowl off-break, leg-break, googly, top-spinner, flipper, and the middle-fingered carom ball. His variations proved to be too tricky to handle when he entered the Test arena and picked up 26 wickets in his maiden series, once again against India. This included 8 for 132 on Test debut.
His success in Sri Lanka's domestic circuit for Sri Lanka Army had made a lot of people notice of him; he picked up 68 wickets in just nine games at a mind-numbing bowling average of just 10.51 early in 2008. He was subsequently fast-tracked to the national team. It is his accuracy and stump-to-stump line that has had many batsmen in trouble. He raced away to 50 One-Day International (ODI) wickets in a mere 19 games, beating Ajit Agarkar’s long-standing record of doing it in 23 games.
He is the only bowler to have taken a six-wicket haul in T20Is. In fact, Mendis has taken two six-fors in T20Is. He took 6 for 16 against Australia at Pallekele in 2011, and then against Zimbabwe he finished with destructive figures of 6 for 8 in four overs (with two maidens).
Over the period of time though, Mendis has failed to live up to his expectations and has been on the fringes of selection of the national team and Sri Lanka have often overlooked him for new bowlers in Dilruwan Perera and Tharindu Kaushal.
Nikhil Popat
Career | M | In | R | NO | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
Test | 19 | 19 | 213 | 6 | 78 | 16.38 | 455 | 46.81 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
ODIs | 88 | 42 | 188 | 19 | 21* | 8.173 | 263 | 71.48 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 15 | 0 |
T20s | 39 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 4* | 2.666 | 17 | 47.05 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
World Cup | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0* | -- | 2 | 0.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
Career | M | B | R | W | Avg | EC | SR | 5WI | 10WM | BBI | BBM |
Test | 19 | 4730 | 2434 | 70 | 34.77 | 3.087 | 67. | 4 | 1 | 6/8 | 10/209 |
ODIs | 88 | 4154 | 3324 | 152 | 21.86 | 4.801 | 27.32 | 3 | 0 | 6/8 | 6/8 |
T20s | 39 | 885 | 952 | 66 | 14.42 | 6.454 | 13.40 | 2 | 0 | 6/8 | 6/8 |
World Cup | 6 | 256 | 134 | 7 | 19.14 | 3.140 | 36.57 | 0 | -- | 3/35 | 6/8 |
Test Debut
Sri Lanka v India at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo, July 23, 2008
Last Test
Sri Lanka v South Africa at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo, July 24, 2014
ODI Debut
West Indies v Sri Lanka at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, April 10, 2008
Last ODI
New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, December 26, 2015
T20 Debut
Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe at Maple Leaf North-West Ground, King City, October 10, 2008
Last T20
England v Sri Lanka at Chittagong Divisional Stadium, Chittagong, March 27, 2014
Mendis ends his career with 288 international wickets across 145 matches.
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