Though foremost a batsman who scores heavily square of the wicket, it is for his unique skill set with the ball that Kamindu Mendis had gained an international reputation long before he entered a national squad. He bowls finger spin with both arms, and does it with skill and accuracy - his offbreaks not quite as good as his left-arm orthodox, but not far off. Understandably, his potential has impressed coaches. In the age of T20, a bowler who can spin it away from both right and left-handers, not to mention employ different lines of attack to the same batsman, could potentially have team owners and data analysts drooling, so long as Kamindu continues to develop those skills.

A product of Galle's Richmond College, Mendis made his under-19 Sri Lanka debut shortly before his 16th birthday, and would go on to captain the under-19 side in the 2018 World Cup. In October of that year, he was picked in a Sri Lanka senior side for the first time, for the one-off T20 against England. A half-century in the practice match before that England tour had helped him secure a place.