Kamindu Mendis Bowls Both Ways! Fans Can’t Believe It.

Kamindu Mendis, an all-rounder from Sri Lanka

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.

In cricket, Kamindu Mendis is uncommon. During Thursday’s IPL 2025 encounter between SunRisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the Sri Lankan bowler, who can bowl with both arms, showcased his skill. In the game, he bowled just one over but took out KKR half-centurion AngkrishRaghuvanshi. Mendis has been a reliable player for Sri Lanka, even though it was the ambidextrous bowler’s first IPL encounter. He has participated in 23 T20Is, 19 ODIs, and 12 Test matches.

In Match 15 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Eden Gardens, the reigning champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with a competitive total, driven by an incredible late-innings surge led by Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh.

With a strong middle-order partnership, KKR overcame early obstacles to finish their innings at 200/6 in 20 overs.
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.

Following a calm opening over, de Kock was trapped in the deep for just one six-ball after misfiring on a pull shot from Pat Cummins. Soon after, Narine edged Mohammed Shami’s over-pitched delivery to the keeper for seven runs (7 balls). Ajinkya Rahane, the captain, and youthful Angkrish Raghuvanshi were brought to the crease after KKR was reduced to 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 KaminduMendis’ 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.