ICC Men’s Player of the Month for March 2024: Kamindu Mendis Triumphs
Sri Lankan cricket sensation, Kamindu Mendis, has outshone Ireland’s Mark Adair and New Zealand’s Matt Henry to clinch the ICC Men’s Player of the Month Award for March 2024.
Mendis is the third Sri Lankan to be bestowed with this honour, following in the footsteps of Prabath Jayasuriya and Wanindu Hasaranga. The award serves as a significant milestone and motivation in his international cricket career.
“I am overjoyed to be named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month. This recognition is a source of inspiration for my international career,” Mendis shared. “Such accolades motivate us as players to strive harder and perform better for our team, country, and fans. I extend my best wishes to the other nominees, Mark Adair and Matt Henry, who are exceptional players and worthy competitors.”
The 25-year-old has made a remarkable comeback to the Sri Lankan team after a hiatus since 2022. Mendis kicked off the month with a commendable 68 runs in the three-match series against Bangladesh, including a swift 37 off 27 balls in the second T20I.
His prowess shone brighter in the Test format, where he delivered a stellar performance by scoring centuries in both innings of the first Test against Bangladesh.
Coming in to bat at a critical juncture with Sri Lanka at 57/5, Mendis, along with Dhananjaya de Silva, orchestrated a massive 202-run partnership, taking the team to a respectable total of 280. Both players scored centuries, with Mendis contributing 102 runs.
Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva put Sri Lanka on top yet again #WTC25 | #BANvSL
After dismissing Bangladesh for 188, the duo once again led the charge, each scoring centuries and asserting their dominance over Bangladesh. Mendis, batting at No.8 with the score at 126/6, crafted a career-best 164 runs, studded with 16 fours and 6 sixes.
This feat made Mendis the first player batting at number seven or lower to hit two centuries in a single Test.
Sri Lanka posted a total of 418 and bowled Bangladesh out for 182, securing a resounding victory by a margin of 328 runs.