Kusal Mendis: The only 7th wicketkeeper with ODI century vs England in England (Source: AFP)Powered by captain Kusal Mendis’ century, Sri Lanka defeated England by 16 runs in a thrilling second One-Day International at Headingley to level the ongoing 3-match ODI series 1-1.In the must-win match, the Sri Lanka ODI captain wrote his name into the history books with the brilliant knock. With the 121-run knock, Kusal Mendis became the only seventh wicketkeeper-batter to score an ODI century against England in England.In this article, let’s look at the other 6 players on the list.1) Adam Gilchrist (The Oval) - 2005Adam Gilchrist produced a stunning 121* off 101 balls against England at The Oval in 2005, smashing 17 fours and two sixes.He reached his century off just 81 balls, becoming the first wicketkeeper to score an ODI century against England in England. Gilchrist’s explosive knock helped Australia chase 229 with 91 balls to spare.2) Tim Paine (Nottingham) - 2009Another Aussie on the list of wicketkeeper-batters with a hundred in England is Tim Paine. Paine delivered a superb century against England in the sixth ODI at Trent Bridge in 2009.He scored 111 runs off 148 balls, anchoring Australia’s innings with composure and striking 13 fours. His maiden ODI hundred helped Australia post 296/8 and complete a dominant 111-run victory.3) Kumar Sangakkara (The Oval and Lords) - 2013 and 2014The former Sri Lankan southpaw, Kumar Sangakkara, produced a masterful unbeaten 134 off 135 balls against England at The Oval in the 2013 Champions Trophy.He struck 12 boundaries while anchoring Sri Lanka’s chase off 294. His century, scored off 111 balls, helped Sri Lanka reach 297/3 in 47.1 overs and win by seven wickets.Also read: Wanindu Hasaranga Ruled Out Of England ODI SeriesHe delivered another magnificent century, scoring 112 off 104 balls at the iconic Lord’s in the fourth ODI on May 31, 2014. With this, he became the only gloveman in the world to score multiple centuries versus England in England. 4) Sarfaraz Ahmed (Lord's) - 2016Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy-winning captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed, scored a tremendous 105-run knock. After the visitors were reduced to 2 for 3 within the first 19 deliveries, Sarfaraz was obliged to adopt a measured approach to his rebuilding operation.Eventually, thanks to Sarfaraz’s ton and Imad Wasim’s gallant fifty, the Men in Green put up a decent 251. However, despite Ahmed’s valiant effort, the “behind the times” Pakistan failed to defend the target.5) Alex Carey (Manchester) - 2020After Australia slipped to 75 off 5, in just 16.5 overs, wicketkeeper batter Alex Carey took the charge, adding a very crucial 106 in 114 deliveries. Carey's knock ended when he sent an Archer delivery flying to third man, where Mark Wood took a sharp catch diving forwards on the last ball off the penultimate over.He shared a record 212-run sixth-wicket partnership with Glenn Maxwell, helping Australia chase 303 and win the AUS vs ENG 2020 series 2-1.6) Rishabh Pant (Manchester) - 2022On July 17, 2022, one of India’s most talented wicketkeeper-batter, Rishabh Pant, scored his maiden ODI century.With the 125-run innings off 113 balls, Pant not only resurrected India after their top-order failure but also helped the visitors sprint to the target with 47 balls remaining. He also became the only Indian gloveman from India to score a century in the 50-over format against the Three Lions on the English soil. 7) Kusal Mendis (Leeds) - 2026Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper-batter, Kusal Mendis, scored a crucial 121 runs for the visiting team, anchoring their innings of 321-6 at Headingley.Notably, the Sri Lanka skipper was dropped on 17 by Gus Atkinson at fine leg in an expensive slip off Jamie Overton’s bowling and had another life, one run short of his century, when he was given out caught behind off Overton but reviewed immediately, and the TV umpire found there had been no nick.He cover-drove the next ball to complete a seventh ODI century in the Sri Lanka vs England 2nd ODI on 24 September, 2026.Also read: England Announce 15-Member Squad For T20 World Cup 2027
