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Kusal Mendis Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 6, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth2 February 1995

Age29 Years

BirthplaceMoratuwa, Sri Lanka

ProfessionCricketer (Batsman & Wicket-keeper)

NationalitySri Lankan

Marital statusMarried

SpouseNishelle Fernandz

FamilyDinesh Mendis (father); Maheshika Shivanthi (mother); Omesh Mendis (brother); Dilki Mendis (sister)

Kusal Mendis Biography

Right-handed top-order batsman and wicket-keeper from Moratuwa who has been a key member of Sri Lanka’s national side since 2015, Kusal Mendis has built a

Early life and background

Balapuwaduge Kusal Gimhan Mendis was born on 2 February 1995 in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. He grew up in a cricketing household and attended Prince of Wales College in Moratuwa, where he began to make a mark as a talented schoolboy cricketer. Mendis is known by nicknames including "Menda" and "King Menda." He completed his schooling but did not attend university, and he has described gym training among his regular hobbies.

Career

Mendis is a right-handed batsman who also keeps wicket and bowls occasional right-arm leg spin. He made his Test debut for Sri Lanka on 22 October 2015 against the West Indies at P Sara Oval in Colombo. His One-Day International debut came on 16 June 2016 against Ireland in Dublin, and he played his first T20 international on 5 July 2016 versus England at Southampton.

At domestic level Mendis progressed through Prince of Wales College to Sri Lanka’s youth structures, representing Sri Lanka Under-19s and Under-23s before breaking into first-class and List A cricket. His domestic and club career has included spells with Moors Sports Club, Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club, Colombo Cricket Club, Sinhalese Sports Club and others. He has also played franchise and overseas cricket, featuring in competitions such as the Lanka Premier League, South African SA20, Bangladesh Premier League and Middlesex Premier League.

Mendis earned notable individual honours early in his career, winning the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year award in 2013 and later being named ODI Batsman of the Year at the Dialog Cricket Awards in 2017.

On the international stage he has registered significant milestones: an early Test fifty, a maiden Test century of 176 against Australia in July 2016, and a double century (245) in a Test against Ireland in April 2023. In ODIs he registered his first century against Bangladesh on 28 March 2017 after making a fifty on debut. In T20 internationals he scored his first half-century on 15 February 2018 versus Bangladesh and was Sri Lanka’s top run-scorer for his side at the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Across calendar years Mendis has produced strong outputs; for example, in 2018 he topped Sri Lanka’s Test catching charts and compiled over a thousand runs across formats that year. He played a prominent role in Sri Lanka’s 2022 Asia Cup success and was a central figure for his country in the 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cups, captaining Sri Lanka in several matches of the 2023 tournament after the regular captain was ruled out injured.

Franchise engagements have included being acquired by Galle Gladiators in the Lanka Premier League and Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 competition. He was in the pool for the 2023 Indian Premier League auction with a base price reported, though he went unsold at that event.

Public profile

Mendis’s on-field performances have been accompanied by periods of off-field scrutiny. In July 2020 he was involved in a road-traffic incident that led to legal proceedings; he later surrendered to police and was released on bail. During Sri Lanka’s 2021 tour of England Mendis, along with two team-mates, breached the team’s bio-secure bubble; that disciplinary matter resulted in bans that were later lifted and the players were cleared to return to international cricket in January 2022.

He is married to Nishelle Fernandz; the couple were married on 12 February 2021 and have a daughter born in June 2022. Mendis’s family includes his parents Dinesh and Maheshika, a younger brother Omesh who has played domestic cricket, and a sister Dilki.

Latest updates

Mendis continued to be an integral member of Sri Lanka’s limited-overs and Test squads through the early 2020s, including leading the side in matches during the 2023 ODI World Cup. His recent franchise activity includes involvement in the SA20 and the Bangladesh Premier League, and he remained an active presence in domestic competitions across Sri Lanka and abroad.
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Recent Work

2023 ICC Cricket World Cup (captain in several matches)

Led Sri Lanka in multiple matches after the regular captain was ruled out injured; played nine matches and scored 294 runs at an average of 32.67 with a highest score of 122 against Pakistan.

2023
SA20 – Pretoria Capitals

Signed for the Pretoria Capitals for the 2022-23 SA20 season.

2023
Bangladesh Premier League – Chattogram Challengers

Featured in the Bangladesh Premier League in 2024.

2024
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Career Highlights

  1. Made Test debut for Sri Lanka in October 2015
  2. Scored maiden Test century (176) vs Australia in July 2016
  3. First Test double century (245) vs Ireland in April 2023
  4. Part of Sri Lanka’s 2022 Asia Cup winning side
  5. Named ODI Batsman of the Year at Dialog Cricket Awards in 2017
  6. Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in 2013
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Kusal Mendis born?

2 February 1995

What is Kusal Mendis known for?

Cricketer (Batsman & Wicket-keeper)

What is Kusal Mendis’s marital status?

Married

Who is Kusal Mendis married to?

Nishelle Fernandz