Kamindu Mendis
Nangarhar Cosmic | All-rounder
APL 2026–27
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Profile details
- FULL NAME
- Kamindu Mendis
- PLAYING ROLE
- All-rounder
- TEAMS
- Nangarhar Cosmic
The batter who bowls with both arms
Kamindu Mendis is the rarest kind of cricketer: a left-hand batter who bowls slow left-arm orthodox with one arm and right-arm off-break with the other, switching to suit the batter at the crease. Nangarhar Cosmic made him their first Gold pick at the Dubai draft on 3 November 2026, for a reported $40,000.
The Test record is what marks him out. His highest score is 182 not out against New Zealand at Galle in 2024, and he scored 1,049 Test runs in 2024 at 74.92 — a year that put him among the best batters in the world. His maiden ODI hundred, 131 against Pakistan at Lahore in 2026, showed the white-ball game catching up. He was born in Galle on 30 September 1998, and his T20I debut came against England at Colombo on 27 October 2018.
This is his APL debut. Mendis did not play in the first APL season — he was not in any of the five squads for the inaugural edition in Sharjah in October 2018, and his own international debut came six days after the APL final. For Cosmic, he is a middle-order batter who also gives Radford two kinds of spin in one player, which is a useful thing to have in a T20 squad of nineteen.
APL 2026-27 in numbers
The season has not started, so Kamindu Mendis has no APL 2026-27 runs, wickets or matches yet. His first numbers in this league will come after Nangarhar Cosmic’s opening match — the season’s first ball is on Sunday 27 December 2026. Until then, the table below is his career at a glance.
| Detail | Kamindu Mendis |
|---|---|
| Born | 30 September 1998, Galle, Sri Lanka |
| Role | Batting all-rounder |
| Batting | Left-hand bat |
| Bowling | Slow left-arm orthodox and right-arm off-break |
| Draft category | Gold — reported $40,000 |
| APL history | APL debut in 2026-27; not in any 2018 squad |
Career facts are from the player’s verified profile record. No APL 2026-27 figures exist yet — the season starts on 27 December 2026.
Where Nangarhar stand
Nangarhar Cosmic’s middle order runs through Mendis and Shakib Al Hasan: two left-handers, two spinners, and two batters who can take a game away in ten overs. Captain Rahmat Shah and Alex Hales set the innings up; Mendis is one of the men who finishes it.
Cosmic play eight league matches, two against each of the other four teams, with four playoff places on offer. The Afghanistan Premier League season opens on Sunday 27 December 2026 at 5:30 PM Afghanistan time, and the final is on Wednesday 20 January 2027. Mendis’s two-armed bowling could be a genuine point of difference in the UAE.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kamindu Mendis’ role for Nangarhar Cosmic?
He is a batting all-rounder: a left-hand middle-order batter who bowls spin with both arms — slow left-arm orthodox and right-arm off-break.
What is Kamindu Mendis’ best Test score?
182 not out against New Zealand at Galle in 2024. He scored 1,049 Test runs in 2024 at an average of 74.92.
Has Kamindu Mendis played in the APL before?
No. He was in none of the five squads in the first APL season in 2018, so APL 2026-27 is his debut in the league.
Nangarhar Cosmic · APL Players · APL Schedule · Afghanistan Premier League
Player
- RoleBatting all-rounder
- TeamNangarhar Cosmic
- CaptainRahmat Shah
- Head coachToby Radford
- MentorMark Boucher
Coming up
- First ballSun 27 Dec, 5:30 PM AFT · UAE
- DraftDone — 3 Nov 2026, Dubai
- FinalWed 20 Jan 2027 · UAE
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Last updated: 12 November 2026