Sri Lankan frontline batsman Kusal Mendis shared a special moment with former Indian captain Virat Kohli after the third and final ODI match between the two teams. Virat Kohli gifted his autographed jersey to Kusal Mendis in a heartwarming gesture and the video went viral on social media platforms.
Sri Lankan team registered a convincing 110-run win in the third ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday, August 7. The home side secured victory in the bilateral ODI series over India after 27 years. The Charith Asalanka-led team finished the series with 2-0 after losing the T20I series.
Watch – Virat Kohli gives his signed jersey to Kusal Mendis
After the ODI match, Kusal Mendis asked Virat Kohli for an autograph on his jersey. In the viral video, Kohli is seen signing the jersey and sharing a light-hearted moment with Mendis near the boundary ropes. The former Sri Lanka captain was pleased with the gesture and met his teammates afterwards.
Kusal Mendis took Virat Kohli’s autograph on his jersey. 🐐🇮🇳pic.twitter.com/o8jq0VwLmY
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 8, 2024
Kusal Mendis scored 59 runs off 82 balls, including four boundaries, as Sri Lanka posted a competitive total of 248 runs. Mendis finished the series with 103 runs from three matches, at an average of 34.33 and a strike rate of 66.45. He was the third-highest wicket-taker for the hosts and fourth overall in the ODI series.
On the other hand, Virat Kohli had a disappointing series. He scored just 58 runs in three ODIs at an average of 19.33 and a strike rate of 84.06. The 35-year-old was dismissed by different spin bowlers in each match. Wanindu Hasaranga, Jeffrey Vandersay and Dunith Wellalage caught Kohli in three games.
Sri Lanka secure historic series win over India
Indian batsmen struggled throughout the ODI series against Sri Lanka. The hosts made the most of the favourable spin conditions. The Charith Asalanka-led team successfully defeated the Indian batting line-up with young players. They found heroes in every match of the recently concluded series.
In the first match, Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka took three wickets each. Jeffrey Vandersay, who replaced the injured Hasaranga, took six wickets in the second game, helping Sri Lanka win by 32 runs. In the final match, Dunith Wellalage took five wickets as Sri Lanka secured a historic series win.
On the other hand, the Indian bowlers failed to defeat the opposing team in any match of the series. Sri Lanka’s lower-order batsmen helped the team post respectable totals in all three matches. It is worth mentioning that Charith Asalanka won the toss in all the games, which favoured them in the result.
Sri Lanka will play a three-match series against England, starting from August 21 in Manchester. Meanwhile, the Indian team will again play a two-match series against Bangladesh at home, starting next month.
Also Read: ‘We didn’t take 10 wickets’: Aakash Chopra accuses Rohit Sharma and Co of complacency after ODI series loss against Sri Lanka
