On Sunday, January 26, 2025, the International Cricket Council (ICC) declared the 2024 ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year award. The award was given to Kamindu Mendis, a middle-order batsman for Sri Lanka, for his exceptional year-long performances in all formats.
In an incredible year, the 26-year-old tied Sir Don Bradman’s 13-inning record to become the joint-third fastest player to amass 1,000 runs in test cricket.
Mendis ended up scoring the most runs for Sri Lanka during their three-match test series in England. The Lankans won in England for the first time in ten years thanks to his brilliant effort.
In 2024, Mendis was the standout player for Sri Lanka, with 1451 points across all formats at an average of more than fifty. Prior to 2024, he had only played one test match, but his year-long efforts solidified his spot in the Sri Lankan team’s all-format lineup.
In 2024, the southpaw was one of just six batters to reach 1000+ runs in a test. His stellar 2024 total of five hundreds and three fifties.
