Kamindu Mendis has made history by becoming the fastest batter to reach 1,000 Test runs in 75 years. He achieved this milestone with an unbeaten 182 in Sri Lanka’s first innings against New Zealand in Galle, completing the feat in just 13 innings. This remarkable performance puts him on par with cricket legend Don Bradman. Both players now share the title of third-fastest in Test history, with only Herbert Sutcliffe and Everton Weekes ahead of them, having reached the milestone in 12 innings each.
Kamindu reached the milestone in style, hitting a six off Rachin Ravindra to surpass the 178 runs needed for 1,000. Notably, 634 of his 1,004 runs have come from the No. 7 position or lower, but he played this innings at No. 5, having moved up the batting order for this series.
His batting average stands at an impressive 91.27, with a strike rate of 65.02. In his 13 innings, he has crossed the fifty mark nine times, scored five centuries, and achieved two scores over 150, with this 182 not out being his highest. His exceptional form has seen him hit hundreds across three different series this year in Bangladesh, England, and Sri Lanka.
With this achievement, Kamindu has set a new record for Sri Lanka, surpassing Roy Dias, who previously held the record with 1,000 runs in 23 innings. Sri Lanka is now in a commanding position in the Galle Test, bolstered by contributions from Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Mendis, who also scored centuries.
Leave a Reply