Kamindu Mendis, the rising star of Sri Lankan cricket, has been named the ICC Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year after a stellar year of consistent performances.
Mendis amassed an impressive 1451 runs across all formats in 2024, maintaining an average of just over 50. He also equaled Sir Don Bradman's record of being the joint-third quickest to reach 1000 runs in Tests, achieving the milestone in just 13 innings.
In the Test format, Mendis truly shone, accumulating 1049 runs in nine matches at an average of 74.92. He was one of only six players to score over 1000 runs in the calendar year, with his tally including five centuries and three half-centuries.
Mendis' standout performance came during the second Test against New Zealand in Galle, where his career-best innings of 182 in the first innings helped Sri Lanka post a formidable total of 602/5. His brilliant knock, which included 16 boundaries and four sixes, was instrumental in Sri Lanka's 2-0 series sweep and earned him the Player of the Match award.
Mendis' contributions extended beyond home soil, as he excelled on tours as well. He finished as Sri Lanka's top scorer during a series in England, playing a crucial role in their first Test victory in the country in a decade.
Despite having made just a single Test appearance for Sri Lanka before 2024, Mendis ended the year as an established all-format player and a go-to resource for the team in moments of crisis and high-stakes situations.
His impressive streak of big scores in the whites was pivotal in Sri Lanka's push for a maiden ICC World Test Championship Final spot.
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