Kamindu Mendis Makes IPL History as a Rare Ambidextrous Bowler

Kamindu Mendis Makes IPL History, an all-rounder from Sri Lanka, made Indian Premier League history Thursday. He changed his bowling arm in the middle of an over, becoming him the first player in the tournament to do so. When Sunrisers Hyderabad played the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, he accomplished this extraordinary accomplishment.

After being added to the attack in the thirteenth over, Mendis bowled three deliveries of off-spin and three deliveries of left-arm spin. Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who scored fifty runs off thirty-two balls, was also removed by the Sri Lankan off the fourth ball.

Mendis scored 27 runs with the bat as well. But after chasing 201 runs, SRH ultimately gave up for 120 runs. Hyderabad has lost three straight games.

Reactions and Impact

Reactions were all over the internet, with many people marvelling at Mendis’s special gift and questioning whether it was legal (which is totally allowed according to the Laws of Cricket). He became an immediate fan favourite after the incident went viral on social media, showcasing his unique talent. Even though SRH lost in the end, Mendis’s performance definitely solidified his legacy in the IPL and demonstrated a lot of promise for his next matches. He is a great asset to the club because of his ability to deceive hitters by changing his bowling arm, which adds an appealing element of unpredictability.

From the Streets to the Stadium: Mendis’s Inspiring Rise

Mendis, who was born in Galle, Sri Lanka, began playing cricket at Richmond College at the age of 13, displaying his ambidextrous bowling abilities. He has played for Sri Lanka in all three international cricket forms and has a strong batting record; most recently, he tied Don Bradman’s record of 1000 Test runs in 13 innings. In the IPL 2025 auction, SRH paid ₹75 lakh for him, demonstrating his value from the first game. He even postponed his honeymoon in order to focus on playing in the IPL.

KKR in Action on April 3: A Complete Match Breakdown

After struggling to gain traction in earlier games, the KKR opening duo delivered yet another lacklustre performance. The team needed an explosive start, but Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock were unable to provide.

De Kock was trapped in the deep for just one six-ball after a calm first over in which he mistaken a pull shot off Pat Cummins. Narine was next, edging Mohammed Shami’s over-pitched delivery to the keeper for seven (7 balls). Young Angkrish Raghuvanshi and skipper Ajinkya Rahane were brought to the crease as KKR struggled at 17/2 after three overs.

Rahane and Raghuvanshi used measured aggressiveness to steady the batting when KKR was having problems. With well-timed boundaries and superb runs between the wickets, the pair exploited short deliveries to keep the scoreboard moving. Rahane attempted a reverse sweep against Zeeshan Ansari, hitting three sixes and playing with ease before losing for 38 (27 balls).

Raghuvanshi reached his second IPL fifty off just 30 balls, demonstrating maturity beyond his years. However, he cut Kamindu Mendis’ off-spin to deep backward point, ending his remarkable innings of 50 (32 balls, five fours, and two sixes). Since KKR had lost both set batsmen at 109/4 in 13.2 overs, the onus was placed on their middle order.

Venkatesh Iyer (60 off 29 balls) and Rinku Singh (unbeaten 32 off 17) took control of the innings at a crucial point. In the final overs, the pair unleashed a barrage of attacking strokes after initially being conservative. Rinku sparked KKR’s attack with three straight fours from Harshal Patel in the 17th over, while Venkatesh rediscovered his groove with strong strokes from Simarjeet and Shami.

The pivotal moment came when Rinku hit a massive 4,6,4,4,2,1 to achieve his fifty in just 25 balls in Cummins’ 19th over. With a remarkable run rate of 11.25, the last partnership produced 91 off just 41 balls.

In the final seven overs, KKR added 91 runs, boosting their total to 200 in 20 overs. The daring hitting of Rinku Singh and the anchoring role of Venkatesh Iyer characterised the innings and placed pressure on SRH’s bowling attack.