Sports
Kamindu Mendis – a star in ascent
There was a time – not too long ago – when Sri Lanka’s batting collapses were as predictable as monsoon rain in May. But in Galle, the tables turned. Bangladesh, after sitting pretty at one stage, lost six wickets for 37 runs in a classic case of snatching defeat from the jaws of dominance. And when Sri Lanka, on the fourth morning, lost Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis in quick succession, the familiar ghosts of Galle past began to stir. Bangladesh were roaring, tails up and on the hunt. But one man stood firm amid the ruins: Kamindu Mendis.
This wasn’t a flash in the pan. Kamindu has been building a reputation for precisely these moments. Since his entry into the Test fold, Sri Lanka’s lower order has begun to wag with purpose. He’s become a master of the unglamorous art – batting with the tail, a discipline requiring both brains and bravery. Time and again, he’s played the shepherd, farming the strike, shielding the rabbits and frustrating bowlers with a cat-and-mouse game that’s as much mental chess as physical endurance.
In this innings, his 84-run alliance with Milan Rathnayake was pure grit stitched with guile. Milan, no mug with the bat, wasn’t content to just survive. Bangladesh tried the old trick – bring the field up, deny the single and have a crack at the tailender. Kamindu, like a wily old fox, flipped the script. He pierced the infield with boundaries, forcing the fielders back. And once they realised Milan could hold a bat, the horse had well and truly bolted.
There’s a quiet evolution in Kamindu’s batting. Once slotted at number seven, he now bats at five – a promotion that has given him more time at the crease and a canvas to construct an innings. And he’s painting quite the picture.
Post-Angelo Mathews, the question beckons: Should Kamindu move up to number four? That’s a call for the selectors, but there’s a twist in the tale. Like Hashan Tillakaratne in his pomp, Kamindu has become a dependable finisher, someone who knows how to squeeze the last ounce of juice from the innings. Sometimes, the art of batting with the tail is too rare to be relocated.
And here’s a nugget for the romantics: last year, Kamindu entered rarefied air when he matched the immortal Don Bradman – both men reaching 1000 Test runs in 13 innings. Of course, no one dares compare mortals to The Don, but to breathe that same statistical air is something to savour.
So what makes Kamindu tick?
He keeps things disarmingly simple. There are no exaggerated flourishes and urgency to his batting. He stands still, plays late and lets the ball come to him. There’s elegance in that economy – class without clutter.
His shot selection is risk-averse, yet never pedestrian. His understanding of tempo – when to accelerate, when to drop anchor – is a hallmark of maturity. It took Angelo Mathews a few years to master that art; Kamindu seems to have cracked it already. And dare one say it, he does so with a sounder technique than the retiring stalwart.
Spin or seam, pace or patience Kamindu handles them all with aplomb. It’s no surprise that IPL franchises came sniffing this year. He may not be the showiest player on the park, but he’s one of the smartest – the thinking man’s cricketer.
If this upward curve continues, there’s little doubt: Sri Lanka haven’t just unearthed a reliable middle-order bat – they’ve found a cornerstone for the future. Pathum Nissanka is another one and on their broad shoulders Sri Lanka’s future will be built.
Rex Clementine ✍️
in Galle
[Cricbuzz]
Former Sri Lanka head coach Mickey Arthur has voiced disappointment over remarks made by Chairman of Selectors Pramodya Wickramasinghe, who last week claimed that Arthur was reluctant to include a young Pathum Nissanka during Sri Lanka’s tour of the Caribbean in 2021.
In his first media briefing, Wickramasinghe said it was he who pushed for Nissanka’s inclusion despite Arthur’s reservations. The former coach has flatly denied the allegation, calling it wide of the mark.
“I am very disappointed with Pramodya’s comments,” Arthur told Telecom Asia Sport. “The right people know exactly how I felt about Pathum. There was never any doubt that he was our future. I don’t want any credit for Pathum’s success. That belongs entirely to his hard work. I simply gave him an opportunity because the talent was impossible to ignore.”
Arthur said Nissanka’s domestic form had left little room for debate. “He was scoring runs for fun and the sheer weight of them made it impossible not to take a look. Once he joined the squad on tour, his attitude and work ethic were truly remarkable. From that moment, there was no doubt this bloke was going places,” Arthur added.
Even before Nissanka’s elevation to the senior side, Arthur had publicly spoken of his admiration for young prospects such as Nissanka and Charith Asalanka, stressing the importance of giving emerging players a long rope. His view was simple: once talent is identified and the attitude checks out, selectors and team management must back those players through thick and thin.
Arthur arrived in Sri Lanka with a formidable résumé, having coached South Africa, Australia and Pakistan. He placed a premium on fitness and fielding and under his watch a team in transition began to show signs of turning the corner. At the end of his tenure, Arthur opted not to renew his contract and instead took up a stint in English county cricket with Derbyshire.
As for Nissanka, he has scarcely put a foot wrong since breaking into the side. There was a Test hundred on debut in the West Indies, followed last year by a match-winning unbeaten century against England at The Oval on a lively seaming pitch. In between, he made history by becoming the first Sri Lankan to score a double hundred in ODIs. Last week, he was snapped up by Delhi Capitals at the IPL auction.
Nissanka is currently ranked third in T20 internationals and is knocking on the door of the top ten in both Tests and ODIs.
73rd National Badminton Championship
Defending champions Viren Nettasinghe and Ranithma Liyanage made a fitting end to their campaigns of the 2025 season, by defending the Men’s and Women’s Open Singles titles as Varangana Jayawardana and Rashmi Mudalige clinched the Women’s Open Doubles title at the 73rd National Badminton Championship, concluded at the S. Thomas’ College Indoor Sports Complex, Mount Lavinia on Wednesday (24).
Viren clinically overcame each of his opponents from the Round of 32, all in straight sets, to reach the final. The country’s top Men’s Singles shuttler continued his form against Rasindu Hendahewa in the final, winning in straight sets to defend the title. Viren defeated Rasindu 21-10 and 21-14 to win his second national title in style.
Ranithma aptly defended her Women’s Open Singles title by recording a comfortable straight sets win against Rashmi Mudalige in an absorbing final that lasted nearly 45 minutes. Though the title decider stretched way longer than anticipated, Ranithma managed to seal the victory by recording set wins of 21-12 and 21-18 to claim the national title for the second year running.
Fourth seed pair Sanuda Ariyasinghe and Thisath Rupathunga created an upset by toppling top seeds Oshamika Karunarathne and Thulith Palliyaguru in a lengthy final that went down to the wire in the Men’s Open Doubles. Sanuda and Thisath won the first set 21-15, but the top pair bounced back to level the game one-all with a 21-18 win. But the gritty pair of Sanuda and Thisath maintained their composure to overcome the favourites 21-15 in the decider and claim the Men’s Open Doubles title.
Varangana Jayawardana and Rashmi Mudalige completed a successful campaign to defend the Women’s Open Doubles title from last year, this time overcoming the aspiring pair of Dilni Ambalangodage and Ranumi Manage in straight sets. Varangana and Rashmi remained unbeaten throughout, as they ended the unblemished run of Dilni and Ranumi with set wins of 21-13 and 21-18.
The Mixed Open Doubles title was claimed by Thulith Palliyaguru and Panchali Adhikari, who battled for 45 minutes to overcome Aashinsa Herath and Rashmi Mudalige 2-1 in the final. After conceding the first set by 12-21, Thulith and Panchali regrouped to claim the next two sets 21-18 and 21-15.
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