In his IPL debut game, Sri Lankan spin allrounder Kamindu Mendis made history as the first player to switch his bowling arm mid-over. This feat occurred while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.
Mendis entered the game in the 13th over and alternated between left-arm spin and offspin for his three deliveries each. He maintained a consistently good length, leaving no space for the batters to maneuver. It was on his fourth ball that he took down right-hand batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who had scored 50 runs in 32 balls, thanks to an impressive catch by Harshal Patel sprinting from deep third.
Prior to his impressive start as a Test batsman, Mendis gained attention for his unique ambidextrous bowling during the 2016 Under-19 World Cup. This curiosity carried over to the senior international level, where he showcased his ability to switch between both arms in one over against Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant during a T20I match last year.
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Mendis’ left-arm spin may have been the factor that limited his overs against KKR, as Raghuvanshi’s out brought together two left-handed batters in Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh.
Although it is permissible for a bowler to change arms during an over, a meticulous umpire may create some inconvenience by requiring them to announce the switch every time. However, during Thursday’s match, Mendis appeared exempt from this rule. It seemed that a pragmatic approach was taken, as he consistently bowled with his left arm against right-handed batters and vice versa.
Interestingly, Mendis demonstrated his ambidexterity against a team that had actively sought out ambidextrous bowlers before. In 2009, KKR’s innovative coach John Buchanan selected both a spin and pace bowler from a pool of 45 potential players.
Leave it to a Sri Lankan to stir things up in the world of cricket data. The last player to bowl with both hands at the international level was Hashan Tillakaratne, who did so against Kenya during the 1996 World Cup. Prior to Tillakaratne, Pakistan’s Hanif Mohammad, who was not a full-time bowler, switched to left-arm spin while West Indies’ Gary Sobers was making his record-breaking 365 runs in a single Test innings in Jamaica.
