Sports

Mendis finally comes good after years of false dawns

Published

7 months ago

2025/07/13

Kusal Mendis has been unstoppable against Bangladesh across the three formats

In a country where schoolboy cricket is a religion and teenage prodigies are thrust into the limelight before they’ve even sprouted a stubble, Sri Lanka’s conveyor belt of talent has never run dry. From Anura Tennekoon to Arjuna Ranatunga and more recently Mahela Jayawardene, the island has always had a knack for spotting its next big thing before the ink dried on their GCE O/Level results.

Kusal Mendis, cut from that same cloth, was earmarked for greatness long before he left the gates of Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa. Elegant against pace, wristy against spin and composed on treacherous wickets, Mendis had all the hallmarks of a future batting colossus.

Such was the faith in his ability that he was fast-tracked into the Test side with barely a handful of First-Class appearances to his name. The move paid rich dividends when, in 2016, Mendis played a starring role in Sri Lanka’s historic 3-0 whitewash of Australia — a feat that still raises eyebrows for this was against Starc and Hazelwood.

But as is often the case in Sri Lankan cricket, the brightest stars sometimes burn out the quickest. What followed was a rollercoaster ride — moments of brilliance drowned in an ocean of inconsistency.

There were glimmers — like the blinder in Port Elizabeth that laid the groundwork for Sri Lanka’s Test series win on South African soil — but they were too few and far between. Twice he was dismissed in the 190s, both times caught on the fence attempting to clear it for a six like Aravinda de Silva. The flair was evident, but so too was the impetuosity.

Off the field, Mendis did himself no favours either. A disciplinary breach saw him cop a one-year ban, later reduced on appeal. But public sentiment had turned. The boy wonder had become a lightning rod for criticism and many felt his time was up.

To their credit, the selectors held their nerve. Where others had been shown the door, Mendis was given the long rope. Six centuries after 146 ODIs would have been curtains for most. But there was always the sense that Mendis was a rare gem — flawed, yes, but one that could yet be polished.

Since 2024, the tide has turned.

Much of the credit for Sri Lanka’s historic Test win in England last year went to Pathum Nissanka, but the real graft — seeing off the new ball under cloudy skies — was done by Mendis. It was a knock that didn’t catch headlines but laid the foundation.

Back home, a new role awaited him. The selectors handed him the gloves in Tests and a floating role in the batting order across formats. Far from buckling under the dual burden, Mendis has flourished.

His 84 at the SSC a fortnight ago, batting with the tail, was a clinic in composure before a freak run-out cut him short. Then came the blitz at RPS — a 20-ball half-century, the fastest at the ground — only for him to throw it away, triggering a collapse that allowed Bangladesh to level the series.

But at Pallekele, with the series on the line, Mendis delivered a masterclass. His hundred not only anchored the innings but also set up a memorable win, reminding everyone why he was once touted as the heir to Kumar Sangakkara’s batting throne

Then in the first T-20I, alongside Nissanka, he bludgeoned 50 off just 19 balls, setting the tone for a record Power Play — 83 runs in six overs, Sri Lanka’s highest ever in the format.

Across formats, in the space of a fortnight, Mendis has come up with match-winning performances — a purple patch that has propelled him into the ICC’s top ten ODI batters.For nearly a decade, Kusal Mendis was the poster boy of unfulfilled promise. If the first ten years were a tease, the next five could well be the payoff Sri Lanka waited far too long for.

Rex Clementine in Dambulla ✍️

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Undermanned Australia get campaign going against dangerous Ireland

Published

2 hours ago

2026/02/11

Priyan

Paul Stirling has not been in good touch of late [Cricket Ireland]

Australia are the last side to begin their T20 World Cup campaign and the late start plays heavily into their favour, given the injury issues they have had coming into the tournament.

They are already without Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood after both were ruled out with injury, and Australia’s selectors have intriguingly not yet replaced Hazlewood in the 15 and will only have 13 to choose from for their opening match against Ireland with Tim David expected to miss the opening round as he continues to rehab his hamstring injury.

Had the first match been any earlier, there may have also been doubts on Nathan Ellis coming off a hamstring concern and Adam Zampa, who experienced some groin tightness in the last T20I of the tour of Pakistan a fortnight ago, which Australia lost 3-0.

Australia are also struggling for form, having been hammered in Pakistan despite many of them coming from the BBL. However Ellis, David and Glenn Maxwell were all absent from that trip while many of the World Cup squad only played one or two games in the series at most. The change in conditions will challenge them, as will Ireland’s spinners George Dockerell and Gareth Delany after both bowled well against Sri Lanka.

Ireland themselves will feel under some pressure after butchering a chance to beat Sri Lanka in Colombo in their tournament opener. They dropped seven catches and gave up 59 runs from their final four overs with the ball. They were 105 for 2, albeit with the required run-rate climbing, but lost 8 for 38 to lose the game by 20 runs.

In theory, Ireland have the advantage of being a slightly unknown quantity to Australia. The two teams have only met twice in T20Is and only once in all international cricket since 2016. They played at the Gabba in the 2022 T20 World Cup and eight of the Ireland XI that played against Sri Lanka played in that game too. However, Australia may only have four players in their XI who played four years ago, with a number of retirements and injuries changing the formation of Australia’s team.

The only other time the two teams met in the shortest format was in the 2012 T20 World Cup in Colombo. Paul Stirling, Dockrell and Maxwell all played in that game.

Can Glenn Maxwell go to the well one more time to produce a stunning World Cup for his nation? Given he turns 38 this year, it seems unlikely that he will play another one for Australia, having already retired from ODI cricket. But since a match-winning 62 not out against South Africa last August, he has had a very lean run in all T20s. In eight innings in the BBL when he got past 3 he remained unbeaten, but that only happened three times with a highest score of 39 not out. His bowling will also be vital in the tournament as he will likely be the lone spinning allrounder in the top seven for most of the event.

Ireland need skipper Paul Stirling to set the tone at the top of the order, particularly against an inexperienced new-ball attack for Australia. His returns have also been lean in recent times with scores of 21, 29, 38, 0, 23, 45, 8, 14, and 6 in his last nine T20Is, striking at just 125.17. His 6 off 13 against Sri Lanka was not the start to the tournament he or Ireland were hoping for.

Australia appear set to play two specialist spinners in Matt Kuhnemann and Zampa. It will mean one of Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis will miss out. There is another option Australia could take with Cooper Connolly playing at No. 8 to lengthen the batting, but that appears unlikely based on form. David’s absence will likely give Matt Renshaw a chance in the middle order. The combination of the top seven is likely to be fluid with the potential of elevating Maxwell early against spin.

Australia (probable): Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis (wk), Matt Renshaw, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett/Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Matt Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa

There could be a temptation to bring in left-arm seamer Josh Little, who bowled very well against Australia four years ago, but he has gone wicketless in his last four T20Is. Ireland will more than likely remain unchanged given catching was the major issue against Sri Lanka.

Ireland (probable): Paul Stirling (capt), Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, Ben Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys

[Cricinfo]

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Afghanistan face mighty South Africa with campaign on the line

Published

2 hours ago

2026/02/11

Priyan

Quinton de Kock has plenty of experience of playing in India [Cricinfo]

Afghanistan made it till the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup, but this time, after just one game, they face an uphill task. Their loss to New Zealand in their opening match has put them, in all likelihood, in a do-or-die situation against South Africa: if they lose, even the wins against Canada and UAE may not be enough to qualify for the Super Eight stage.

It will not be easy for Afghanistan. They have faced South Africa three times in T20Is. On all three occasions, they were on the losing side. Their last defeat – in of the 2024 edition – was particularly chastening: South Africa bowled them out for 56 and then chased down the target with nine wickets to spare.

Apart from all that history, too, South Africa will be well primed after their win against Canada, where they ticked most boxes. Their captain Aiden Markram scored a half-century, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs added 75 in an unbroken stand, and the team posted the highest total of the tournament so far. Lungi Ngidi’s four-for was the icing on the cake. A win against Afghanistan will make their path to the Super Eight stage smooth.

It’s a day game, starting at 11am. But as Stubbs said after the Canada match, it may not make much of a difference.

It may feel like Rashid Khan is not the same bowler he once was. But numbers tell a different story. Since the start of 2024, he has taken 52 wickets in 26 T20Is against Full Members. Both his strike rate (11.3) and economy (5.83) in this period are better than his career numbers. If Afghanistan are to qualify for the next round, they will need similar performances from their captain.

Since his return to T20I cricket in October, Quinton de Kock has five single digit scores in 11 innings. But when he gets going, it’s not easy to stop him. He has scored 355 runs in this period, at an average of 32.27 and a strike rate of 181.12. His overall record in India is also impressive, and he will be keen to put behind his 22-ball 25 in South Africa’s opening match against Canada.

Expect Noor Ahmad to replace Ziaur Rahman, who conceded 33 from his three wicketless overs against New Zealand.

Afghanistan (probable): Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (capt), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi

South Africa could consider bringing in a second spinner in George Linde for one of the many fast bowlers.

South Africa (probable): Aiden Markram (capt), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Spinners, Farhan seal comfortable win for Pakistan

Published

3 hours ago

2026/02/11

Priyan

Sahibzada Farhan scored 73 off 41[cricinfo]

Shadab Khan belted 30 off 12 balls then stifled USA’s chase with 2 for 26 to spearhead Pakistan’s second win of the T20 World Cup. After they snuck past Netherlands in a heart-stopping tournament opener on Saturday, this was a routine victory for Pakistan which highlighted how dangerous their spin-dominated attack might be on Sri Lankan pitches.

Sahibzada Farhan underpinned Pakistan’s total of 190 for 9 – their highest score at a T20 World Cup since the 2016 edition – with 73 off 41 balls, sharing partnerships worth 54 and 81 with Saim Ayub and Babar Azam respectively. But it was Shadab’s late launch from No. 6 that gave them a winning score, despite a chaotic finish to their innings.

Shadley van Schalkwyk USA’s standout bowler when they ran India close on Saturday night, returned identical figures of 4 for 25 as he leaned heavily on his slower balls. But the injured Ali Khan was a big miss, and a repeat of the USA’s famous Super Over victory when the teams met at the 2024 T20 World Cup always felt unlikely.

The run chase started brightly thanks to Shayan Jahangir, one of three Pakistan-born players in the USA side, who made 49 off 34. But Pakistan’s five spinners turned the screw through the middle of the innings, returning combined figures of 7 for 115 in 16 overs as they were backed up by an impressive effort in the field.

Shubnam Ranjane still carrying the injury that he picked up against India, showed some resistance, hauling back-to-back sixes off Shaheen Shah Afridi over the leg side. But by the time he reached a 28-ball half-century – his first in T20Is – the equation was 35 off the last five balls, and he was trapped lbw two balls later.

The result takes Pakistan top of the nascent Group A table with two wins from two; after the withdrawal of the government’s boycott order on Monday night, their next opponents will be India on Sunday.

Ayub made an instant statement of intent by skipping down the pitch and trying to launch the first ball of the match back over Saurabh Netravalkar’s head for six. He only connected with thin air, but successfully cleared the long-on boundary two balls later to kickstart a boundary-laden opening stand with Farhan.

It was Farhan who made most of the running. He hit three fours in the space of four balls from USA debutant – and nine-cap former Pakistan international – Ehsan Adil, and took 16 runs from offspinner Milind Kumar’s over to leave Pakistan 54 for 0 after five overs, despite chewing up 18 dot balls.

Van Schalkwyk’s slower balls proved effective again, producing two wickets in the final over of the Powerplay: Ayub sliced a catch to short third reaching for a wide one, and Salman Agha was tucked up as he looked to give himself room, heaving a cutter straight to deep backward square. It prompted a period of consolidation, with a single boundary in the next five overs.

Babar ground his way to 15 off 17 balls before switching gear in the 13th over, launching Harmeet Singh’s left-arm spin over midwicket for six then hitting back-to-back boundaries, the second a rifled cut shot from a low base. He was well caught by Milind at long-on soon after drinks for 46 off 32, eventually showing signs of rhythm after a scratchy start to the World Cup.

Farhan, who had powered to a 27-ball half-century, was well caught by Sanjay Krishnamurthi on the long-off boundary in Harmeet’s final over, and Pakistan reshuffled their batting line-up after a partnership worth 81 in 53 balls. Usman Khan slid down to No. 8, below Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab and Faheem Ashraf, and Shadab made the most of his promotion.

He belted Netravalkar’s slower ball for six, then took Adil for three consecutive fours on his way to 30 off 12. His dismissal, splicing a catch behind off the impressive van Schalkwyk, was the first of five wickets to fall in the final 10 balls – including two run-outs in the final over – but Shaheen’s late blow dragged Pakistan up to 190.

Jahangir replaced Saiteja Mukkamalla at the top of the order and made a fast start. He whipped Shaheen through midwicket for four, rocked back to heave Ayub over wide long-on, and dumped Abrar Ahmed back over his head to take USA to 50 in the powerplay, for the loss of Andries Gous, caught at mid-off off Nawaz.

But they got bogged down by spin through the middle of the innings, with Monank Patel mistiming a slog-sweep back to Shadab for a painstaking 3 off 10. Jahangir launched Nawaz through long-off for four to end a 28-ball stretch without a boundary, but mistimed Shadab’s wrong ‘un to long-on to fall one run short of a first T20 World Cup half-century.

Milind and Ranjane added 54 off 35 for the fourth wicket, but could not prevent the asking rate spiralling out of control. Usman Tariq, who replaced Salman Mirza to leave Pakistan with a single frontline seamer, had Milind caught on the edge of the ring, then struck twice in two balls to finish with 3 for 27 in his first match at an ICC event.

Brief scores:
Pakistan 190 for 9 in 20 overs (Saim Ayub 19, Sahibzada Farhan 73, Babar Azam 46, Shadab Khan 30; Saruabah Netravalkar 1-40, Shadley van Schalkwyk 4-25, Mohammed Moshin 1-27, Harmeet Singh 1-41) beat USA 158 for 8 in 20 overs (Andries Gouse 13, Shubnam Ranjane 51, Shayan Jahangir 49, Milind Kumar 29; ShaheenShah Afridi 1-42, Abrar Ahmed 1-30, Mohammed Nawaz 1-21, Usman Tariq 3-27, Shadab Khan 2-26) by 32 runs

[Cricinfo]