Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis caps off his astonishing and memorable 2024 with a prestigious honour, as ICC has named the ‘multi-talented’ all-rounder the winner of the Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year Award.
A prolific run-scorer, who scored 1451 runs across formats at an average of just above 50 💥
Sri Lanka’s star on the rise has taken out the ICC Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year Award 🇱🇰 pic.twitter.com/qIrRy5Kpif
— ICC (@ICC) January 26, 2025
The 26-year-old scored a total of 1451 runs across all formats, and propelled under pressure, as he guided Sri Lanka out of trouble on several occasions.
For his astonishing performances in Tests in 2024, the Sri Lankan all-rounder was named in the ICC’s Men’s Test Team of the Year 2024.
READ HERE | ‘Cummins, Bumrah IN; Smith, Kohli OUT!’ ICC Announce Men’s Test Team Of The Year 2024
Kamindu Mendis has defeated the likes of Saim Ayub (Pakistan); Gus Atkinson (England); and Shamar Joseph (West Indies) for the award, and will now definitely walk into 2025 with a huge chip on his shoulders.
The left-handed batsman scored over 1000 runs in Tests in 2024, and has the highest average for a batter in Tests for the same calendar year. His heorics against New Zealand in the home Test series propelled Sri Lanka to amass huge totals, as the ‘Lankan Lions’ inflicted a clean sweep over the ‘Kiwis’.
He ended his Test matches for 2024 on a high, by recording 5 tons and 5 fifties.
Why Is Kamindu Mendis Called ‘Multi-Talented’?
Kamindu Mendis is amongst the rarest class of cricketers, who hold the ability to both, bat and bowl, with either of the arms. The Sri Lankan all-rounder bowls off-spin and arm balls, as his ability to bowl with either of the arms often bamboozles opposition batters.
Kamindu Mendis can also switch effectively in batting as well, as his reverse-sweeps and switch-hits are a delight to watch.
