Kusal Mendis

His breakthrough at the top level came at Pallekele against Australia. Sri Lanka had fallen behind on first innings, and Mendis responded with a hundred that almost on its own hauled his team back into the match. That effort set up victory, and Sri Lanka went on to win the series without losing a game.

He soon showed he could contribute in limited-overs cricket too. In a tri-series in Zimbabwe, two fifties from Mendis helped Sri Lanka lift the trophy, and he was named Man of the Series. Returning to Test cricket at home against Bangladesh, he made 194, and in the one-day games that followed he struck his first ODI hundred.

An attacking player by instinct, Mendis combines a wide array of shots with a composure that has impressed observers. At the 2017 Champions Trophy he stood out during a disappointing campaign for his side. A home series against Zimbabwe brought several promising beginnings that he could not turn into big scores, but he answered with a hundred in the second Test against India, underlining his ability to adapt. With Sri Lanka rebuilding, he is regarded as one of the players the team will lean on.