Sri Lanka new found youth investment 22-year old Ramesh Mendis has in just two Test appearances acquitted himself handsomely in imbibing to the team by his all-round ability a balance that was hitherto lacking. This was amply demonstrated by his contributions of match figures of 6 wickets for 189 including 4 for 103 in Bangladesh’s second innings of the second Test in enabling Sri Lanka to inflict a 209-run defeat for a 1-nil triumph in the recently concluded home 2-match series. He did weigh in with 33 runs with the bat in Sri Lanka’s second innings in injecting the run urgency for a timely declaration.

Importantly, it is the dual blend to the spin bowling department that the young colt has infused pairing with Praveen Jayawickrama, who set up a unique debut world record of 11 wickets, the best ever haul by a Sri Lankan, that has been the high point in the turn around in the Lankan team at that level. 

Born 7 July 1995, this product from Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda is a discovery from Sri Lanka’s Under-19 XI who represented the country in the 2014 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. At provincial level, Ramesh made his mark in the 2017-18 Suer Four Provincial Tournament turning out for Kandy.  cricketerTest cricket

In the domestic 2018-19 Premier League Tournament, he hogged the spotlight as the leading run-scorer for  Moors Sports Club with 612 runs in nine matches.^[6] He was also the leading tournament wicket-taker claiming 30 wickets from nine matches. He went on to make it to the Dambulla squad for the 2019 Super Provincial One-Day Tournament and in 2019 was named in Sri Lanka’s squad for the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams for the Asia Cup. He has achieved the rare feat of scoring an unbeaten 300 for Moors SC in first-class cricket.