Kusal Mendis has been among the most consistent ODI batters in the last couple of years. Image Credits: AFPKusal Mendis has quietly established himself as one of the most consistent ODI batters over the last couple of years. While he may have flown under the radar, Mendis has taken his game to another level and is finally turning his talent into sustained performances.Talent and skill have never really been the issue for Mendis. The problem was consistency; his career was often characterised by occasional flashes of brilliance rather than sustained runs of form. That is now a thing of the past, at least in ODIs.Kusal Mendis’ remarkable ODI turnaroundKusal Mendis' ODI breakdownSince 2024, Kusal Mendis has scored 1,651 runs at an average of 50.03 and a strike rate of 93.06 in 37 ODI innings. He has also registered 10 fifties and four centuries during this period.Mendis has scored runs across conditions and opposition. At home, the Sri Lankan captain has been particularly prolific, averaging 62.33 and striking at 95.81 in 22 innings, with seven fifties and three hundreds. He has also scored half-centuries in both the West Indies and New Zealand, while making useful contributions in Bangladesh. Now, he has carried that form into England, against a strong bowling attack.Mendis made 42 in the first ODI in Durham as Sri Lanka collapsed on a tricky surface. In the second ODI, though, he produced one of his finest knocks of the period, almost single-handedly reviving his team. The captain smashed 121 off 100 balls, with 14 fours and three sixes, striking at 121.His innings helped Sri Lanka level the series 1-1 and secure their first win of the tour. Mendis then followed it up with another counter-attacking 35 in the third ODI, although Sri Lanka were once again bowled out for a low total while chasing a big target.Sony Sports Network @SonySportsNetwk Kusal Mendis came out swinging, taking the fight to Sam Curran early! 💥 #SonySportsNetwork #SLvENG Jan 30, 2026, 10:30 PM The contrast with his numbers between 2021 and 2023 is striking. Mendis averaged just 35.31 and struck at 89.11 in 44 ODI innings during that period, scoring only one century.The bigger issue, however, was his record outside Sri Lanka. At home, he averaged a respectable 44.40 in 19 innings, but that figure fell to 29.39 away. He often struggled to acclimatise to different conditions and tried to force his way out of trouble. That produced a few flashy knocks, but rarely the sustained consistency required at the highest level.Also Read: List Of Wicket-Keepers With ODI Century vs England in EnglandCompare that with the Mendis of today, and the transformation is clear. He is scoring more consistently without sacrificing his attacking intent.Improvements vs paceKusal Mendis vs pace in ODIsThe biggest reason behind Kusal Mendis’ meteoric rise as a batter has been his improved game against pace. As a subcontinent batter, Mendis has always been a strong player of spin, particularly in white-ball cricket. His game against fast bowlers, however, had some obvious weaknesses.Between 2021 and 2023, Mendis averaged just 30.13 and struck at 88.50 against pace in ODIs. He took around 8.15 balls per boundary and played around 58% dot balls.Since 2024, though, those numbers have improved drastically. Mendis has averaged 52 and struck at 93.48 against fast bowlers during this period. His balls-per-boundary ratio has improved to 7.54, while his dot-ball percentage has dropped to 53.5%.More importantly, he now handles short and back-of-a-length deliveries exceptionally well. Against pace, Mendis strikes at a whopping 117.21 on those two lengths, hitting a boundary every 5.95 balls.Sony Sports Network @SonySportsNetwk Steady at the top ✨ A fine 50 from Kusal Mendis 👏 Watch #SLvAFG LIVE NOW, on the Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV. #SonySportsNetwork #DPWorldAsiaCup2025 Sep 18, 2025, 11:41 PM His epic knock against England a few days ago was another example of that improvement. Mendis handled the likes of Josh Tongue and Jamie Overton superbly, often taking them on down the ground. It was a clear demonstration of how much more comfortable he has become against pace.The same was evident in Barbados earlier this year, when Mendis played a valiant knock against the West Indies. He handled Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph brilliantly, helping Sri Lanka post a competitive first-innings total that they eventually defended.Why Mendis’ improved pace game comes at the right timeSri Lanka have a few quality players in their ODI setup at the moment. However, some of them could struggle against high-end pace, particularly in conditions outside Asia.That makes their fortunes heavily dependent on their two main batters, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis. While Nissanka opens the innings, Mendis bats at No. 3, where his role is to absorb pressure and keep the opposition’s enforcers at bay through the middle overs. Not many players can do that while maintaining a healthy scoring rate, which makes Mendis all the more important ahead of the 2027 World Cup.The tournament will be played in Africa, where conditions can vary significantly, from high bounce and sharp pace to slower surfaces with lower bounce. Adaptability will therefore be crucial in a high-pressure tournament, making Mendis’ improvement against pace particularly timely.He will have to carry the innings at times and produce more knocks like the one against England a few days ago. His role will be to shield the vulnerable middle order while ensuring Sri Lanka do not lose momentum in the middle overs.All of that will come alongside his responsibilities as captain. Mendis, therefore, needs to sustain his current form and continue building on the improvements he has made against pace. If he can do that, Sri Lanka will have a much more reliable presence at the top as they prepare for cricket’s biggest prize.Also Read: Perth Scorchers Sign Zak Crawley To Replace KKR Star For BBL 2026-27
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