46 Facts About Ajantha Mendis

1.

Balapuwaduge Ajantha Winslow Mendis better known as Ajantha Mendis is a Sri Lankan former international cricketer who played for Sri Lankan national cricket team in all three formats, who is known as the "mystery spinner" due to the unusual bowling action variations.

2.

Ajantha Mendis made his One Day International debut against the West Indies at Port of Spain in 2008 and took 3 for 39.

3.

Ajantha Mendis played for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.

4.

Ajantha Mendis holds the record for the quickest for 50 wickets in ODIs with 19 matches.

5.

Ajantha Mendis won the Emerging Player of the Year award at the ICC Awards ceremony held in Dubai in September 2008.

6.

On 26 October 2012, Ajantha Mendis received the Sri Lankan order of Bantu, the highest civilian honour in Sri Lanka.

7.

Ajantha Mendis is the third child in a family of five with an elder brother and a sister.

8.

Ajantha Mendis has had his basic education at St Anthony's College at Kadalana in his village where there were no facilities at all for sports.

9.

Ajantha Mendis subsequently entered Moratuwa Maha Vidyalaya in the year of 2000.

10.

Ajantha Mendis enlisted, partly due to the reason that his father, the bread-winner for the family had died the week before due to a heart attack.

11.

Ajantha Mendis had the opportunity of touring neighbouring India on an eight-day tour in June 2007 where he was given the opportunity to play two, two-day matches.

12.

Ajantha Mendis's performance in the said tournament got the National Selectors to observe him further closely, after he became the most successful bowler by taking 68 wickets in nine matches which is a record in any form of domestic cricket.

13.

At the 2013 Indian Premier League Auctions held in Chennai, India on 3 February 2013, Ajantha Mendis proved to be one of the most expensive players sold, purchased by the Pune Warriors India for $725,000.

14.

Ajantha Mendis was among seven Sri Lankan cricketers who were injured in the attack, which killed five policemen who guarded the bus.

15.

Ajantha Mendis made his One Day International debut on 10 April 2008 in first ODI against West Indies.

16.

Ajantha Mendis announced his arrival on the international stage with three for 39 off 10 overs in this game, and dumbfounded the West Indian batsmen with his range of variations without a perceptible change in his action.

17.

On 6 July 2009, in the Asia cup final against India, Ajantha Mendis delivered a match winning spell of astonishing figures of 6 for 13.

18.

Ajantha Mendis made his Test debut in Test cricket against India in at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo, on 23 July 2008.

19.

Ajantha Mendis claimed his first wicket in his fifth over, bowling Rahul Dravid out with a delivery now christened the carrom ball, that turned from middle and hit off stump.

20.

Ajantha Mendis went on to claim the wickets of Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan and VVS Laxman to finish with figures of 4 for 72.

21.

Ajantha Mendis followed this up with 4 for 60 in India's second innings.

22.

Ajantha Mendis collected his first ten-wicket haul in the very next match, which Sri Lanka went on to lose.

23.

Ajantha Mendis was named player of the series award for his efforts.

24.

On 10 October 2008 during first match in Quadrangular Twenty20 Series, Ajantha Mendis made his Twenty20 debut against Zimbabwe in King City, Canada as the 22nd T20I cap for Sri Lanka.

25.

Ajantha Mendis claimed four for 15 in four overs and won the man of the match award.

26.

On 6 August 2010 during the series against India, Ajantha Mendis scored his highest Test score of 78.

27.

Ajantha Mendis, playing his eighth ODI, picked up the first six-wicket haul in the Asia Cup final against India in July 2008.

28.

Ajantha Mendis won the man of the match award in the finals as well as the player of the tournament award for his efforts.

29.

Ajantha Mendis has broken fastest 50 wicket record in ODI, previously held by Ajit Agarkar of India for 23 matches.

30.

Ajantha Mendis broke the record by snatching 50 wickets in just 19 matches.

31.

Ajantha Mendis played Compaq cup in 2009 but unfortunately he didn't play well as India won the series.

32.

Ajantha Mendis was not included to the 2015 Cricket World Cup team and he did not play in the other bilateral series in late 2014 to late 2015.

33.

Ajantha Mendis was included to the ODI and T20I series against West indies in October 2015.

34.

Ajantha Mendis took 2 wickets in the first ODI at R Premadasa Stadium and with these two wickets, he reached 150 ODI wickets, becoming the 8th Sri Lankan to reach that milestone.

35.

Ajantha Mendis came on to bat and scored a magnificent 21 runs, guided the team to win the match by 1 wicket.

36.

Ajantha Mendis smashed a huge six to Johnson Charles for a free hit, through long-on to reach his highest ODI score of unbeaten 21 runs.

37.

Ajantha Mendis was a contender for Man of the Tournament, but came third behind teammate Tillakaratne Dilshan.

38.

Ajantha Mendis was named in the 'Team of the Tournament' by Cricinfo for the 2009 T20I World Cup.

39.

Ajantha Mendis has twice set the record for best figures in a Twenty20 International.

40.

Up to date, Ajantha Mendis is the only bowler to take six wicket hauls in Two Twenty20 internationals.

41.

Ajantha Mendis was named in the 'Team of the Tournament' for the 2012 T20 World Cup by the ICC.

42.

Ajantha Mendis faced a severe back injury in second half of 2014.

43.

Ajantha Mendis has not been able to bowl at all during this period.

44.

Ajantha Mendis, although classified as slow-medium, bowls a mixture of deliveries, including googlies, off-breaks, top-spinners, flippers and leg-breaks, as well as the carrom ball, released with a flick of his middle finger.

45.

On 10 September 2008, Ajantha Mendis has won the "Emerging Player of the Year" award at the ICC Awards ceremony in Dubai.

46.

Ajantha Mendis was the top choice of the 25-person Voting Academy, coming in ahead of England's up-and-coming Stuart Broad, South Africa fast bowler Morne Morkel and fast bowler Ishant Sharma of India.