Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) newest addition, Kamindu Mendis, wasted no time making an impression in his IPL debut against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The Sri Lankan all-rounder, known for his rare ambidextrous bowling ability, showcased his unique skillset by switching between right-arm off-spin and left-arm orthodox spin depending on the batter.
This versatility paid off immediately as he dismissed a well-set Angkrish Raghuvanshi in his very first over. Raghuvanshi had been looking dangerous, having scored 50 off 32 balls, but Kamindu’s clever change in bowling style provided SRH with a crucial breakthrough.
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He also bowled off-spin to Venkatesh Iyer, proving that SRH’s decision to hand him a debut at Eden Gardens was a calculated masterstroke. At the time of writing, KKR stood at 134/4 in 16 overs, with Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh looking to take their innings deep.
Left 👉 Right
Right 👉 Left
Confused? 🤔That’s what Kamindu Mendis causes in the minds of batters 😉
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At the toss, SRH skipper Pat Cummins admitted he struggles to read pitches but believed the wicket looked good. Reflecting on past matchups, he emphasized the importance of an aggressive approach while keeping a clear game plan for the Impact Player strategy. He acknowledged the long tournament ahead and stressed not overthinking results too early.
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Meanwhile, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane was satisfied with the pitch and mentioned he would have preferred to bowl first. He expected the surface to assist spinners and urged his team to quickly assess conditions. Aware of their recent off-day against MI, Rahane encouraged his players to play fearless cricket. He also confirmed one change in the lineup—Moeen Ali replacing Spencer Johnson.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Aniket Verma, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Kamindu Mendis, Pat Cummins(c), Harshal Patel, Simarjeet Singh, Mohammed Shami, Zeeshan Ansari
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
