Mendis’ feet disturbed the stumps after being pushed back by a short delivery from Mitchell Santner, resulting in his exit for 20 runs off 10 balls.
This marked only the third instance of such a dismissal in IPL history. Notably, Krunal Pandya experienced a similar fate against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) earlier this month during a league stage match.
Mendis joined the GT lineup as a replacement for Jos Buttler, who left to join the national team for their One Day Internationals (ODIs) against West Indies.
He made his debut for the franchise in this crucial match but faced a challenging day on the field. Initially, he dropped catches off both Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, showcasing his struggles behind the stumps.
Mendis seemed poised to make an impact with the bat after arriving at the crease following Shubman Gill’s dismissal in the first over.
He appeared unfazed while facing the formidable bowling duo of Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah. Mendis struck two massive sixes against Boult over the leg side and appeared well set to contribute significantly alongside Sai Sudharsan, with the pair reaching their 50-run partnership in just 28 deliveries.
However, his time at the crease was abruptly cut short after the Sri Lankan’s unfortunate dismissal off Mitchell Santner, bringing Washington Sundar into play sooner than anticipated.
First Published: May 30, 2025 10:23 PM IST
