A Historic Debut in IPL 2025

During the season of IPL 2025, Sunrisers Hyderabad's fresh signing, Kamindu Mendis, demonstrated his ambidextrous bowling prowess against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. In his IPL debut, Mendis achieved the distinction of becoming the first ambidextrous bowler to take a wicket in the history of the tournament.

Ambidextrous Bowling Leaves Fans in Awe

Famous for his capability to bowl left-arm orthodox spin as well as right-arm off-spin, Mendis left fans and commentators stunned. In one over, he bowled left-handed to Angkrish Raghuvanshi and then changed to right-handed deliveries against Venkatesh Iyer, going on to dismiss Raghuvanshi soon after his half-century. Commentator Pommie Mbangwa said, "He bowled accurately with both arms. But it is confusing for a batter, isn't it?"

Prioritizing IPL Over Honeymoon

Before the season of the IPL, Mendis got married to his long-time fiancée Nishni. Proving to be devoted to cricket, he delayed their international honeymoon to play for Sunrisers Hyderabad during the tournament. Pathum Gunawardana, the wedding planner, stated, "They have not had an overseas honeymoon because the player has a commitment to play for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and he will start training for the IPL as soon as possible.

KKR's Dominating Win Over SRH

Despite Mendis's impressive debut, Sunrisers Hyderabad suffered a heavy loss. KKR's middle order, with Venkatesh Iyer's quick 60 off 29 balls and Raghuvanshi's 50, took them to a score of 200/6. SRH's batting order collapsed against KKR's bowlers, with Vaibhav Arora claiming 3/29 and Varun Chakaravarthy taking 3/22. As a result, SRH was bowled out for 120 in 16.4 overs, leading to an 80-run defeat.

Kamindu Mendis's commitment and special talent have provided a new dimension to the IPL, and he is one of the players to look out for in the current season.