Kamindu Mendis named ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2024
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Sri Lanka's batting sensation Kamindu Mendis has emerged as ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2024 after some excellent performances with the bat. Mendis made a return to Test cricket in 2024 as he had played just a single Test before this year.
However, the youngster was highly consistent and proved his worth in various conditions. He was brilliant against spin in the Test series played in Bangladesh and then also impressed in England, where he was constantly tested with the moving ball.
Kamindu Mendis Becomes ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year
Overall, Kamindu Mendis scored 1458 across all the formats of the game at an average of 47.03. While he was consistent across formats, his best came in Test cricket where he played a key role in Sri Lanka's push for the World Test Championship final.
In Test cricket, Mendis scored 1049 runs in 9 Tests at an average of 74.92 with 5 hundreds and 3 fifties. It also shows his excellent conversion rate. He finished as one of the six batters to score 1000 Test runs this year.
During this period, Kamindu Mendis became the joint-quickest to reach the tally of 1000 runs in Tests and equalled Don Bradman's mark of reaching the milestone in 13 innings.
Kamindu Mendis' impressive England tour
In the crucial tour of England, the left-hander scored 267 runs in three Tests at an impressive average of 53.40. He struck 1 hundred and 2 fifties and helped Sri Lanka win a Test match in England after 10 years.
His best of 182* came against New Zealand in a Test match played at Galle. His innings helped Sri Lanka post a massive score on the board, which paved the way for a brilliant 2-0 series win. His knock came off just 250 balls, earning him the Player of the Match award.
Mendis finished the year 2024 as the fifty highest run-scorer of the year. He also finished as the sixth-highest run-getter of the year across all the formats.
Apart from being a capable batter, Mendis also has the unique ability to bowl with both the hands. He can bowl both offspin and left-arm spin which makes him a valuable asset for any team in any format of the game.
Kamindu Mendis' insane Test numbers
Overall, Kamindu Mendis has shown a lot of promise early in his Test career and is poised to become a big star for his team in the future, especially in Test cricket.
The 26-year-old has played 10 Tests so far and already scored 1110 runs at an average of 74 with 5 hundreds and 4 fifties. His ODI and T20I career is yet to explode but he has the ability to make huge runs in future.
As expected, he was included in ICC Men's Test Team of the Year 2024 after his impressive performances in red-ball cricket. He was the only Sri Lankan player to make it to this team.
