In the World Cup opener at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Sri Lanka faced a daunting task as they were set a target of 429 by the Proteas, which was a hundred runs more than the highest successful chase in tournament history. Their situation went from bad to worse when opener Pathum Nissanka was dismissed for a duck.
However, the Lions’ hopes were quickly revived thanks to a remarkable performance by Kusal Mendis. The explosive batsman raced to a half-century in just 25 balls, hitting three boundaries and six maximums before any other player in the team had even scored a single run.
What made this achievement even more special was that Mendis reached this milestone with two sixes and a boundary in the span of just three balls, one of which would be remembered as a highlight reel shot.
Mendis was facing Marco Jansen in the sixth over when the left-arm pacer delivered a full ball slightly outside the off stump. Mendis, seemingly well-prepared for the moment, shifted his position across the crease before leaning to his right and skillfully sending the ball over his left shoulder.
The ball traveled a long distance behind the wicket, and Mendis’ extraordinary talent was evident in Jansen’s reaction. Jansen could only stand his ground with wide eyes and a sheepish smile on his face.
— Ishan Martinez (@IshanMarti66419) October 7, 2023
Mendis had a well-deserved wide grin on his face, and it didn’t take long for Twitter users to shower him with praise for effortlessly executing a shot reminiscent of Suryakumar Yadav’s style.
