Stats: Fastest Sri Lankan batsmen to 1000 ODI runs

Sri Lanka’s latest batting sensation, Kusal Mendis has continued his excellent form in the International cricket as he blazed to through to the 1000-run milestone in One-Day Internationals in only 28 innings. Thus he became the joint 2nd fastest player from Sri Lanka to score 1000 ODI runs.

Kusal Mendis came out to bat with 28 runs required for him to complete 1000 ODI runs in the first ODI game against Zimbabwe at the Galle. He came out to bat in the 5th over after the loss of Niroshan Dickwella and put on an 117-run stand for the 2nd wicket along with Danushka Gunathilaka. During his stay in the middle, Mendis scored a brilliant 86 off just 80 balls with 10 fours and a six before giving a return catch to the Zimbabwe skipper Graeme Cremer.

He completed the milestone an inning earlier than the Sri Lankan record of 27 innings by Roy Dias with a boundary against Solomon Mire in the 17th over. Mendis had a chance of equaling Dias’ record when he turned up against Pakistan in the league game of the 2017 Champions Trophy. He needed 55 runs to equal Dias but he managed to score only 27 runs in that game.

The 22-year-old shares the record for being the 2nd fastest Sri Lankan to complete 1000 ODI runs as Upul Tharanga also needed the same number of innings for the milestone. Interestingly, Tharanga completed 6000 runs in ODI cricket and became the joint 2nd fastest Sri Lankan to the mark during the same game between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe when he reached the individual score of 17 with a six.

Dinesh Chandimal, who was dropped from this series due to poor form is only the other Sri Lankan who took 30 or fewer innings to complete their 1000 ODI runs.

Fastest to 1000 runs in ODI cricket by Sri Lankan players:

(Stats as on June 30, 2017)