Image Credit- ICC
Kusal Mendis’s earliest recollection of watching
cricket is during the men’s World Cup in 2003. He had heard stories since he
was eight years old about the magic Aravinda de Silva wove with the bat. Even
though Aravinda was well past his prime by then, he had accomplished enough to
make Kusal fervently want to be just like him.
In the run-up to the 2023 World Cup, Kusal might have
had good reasons for declining the position, but international cricket can be a
challenging environment in which to learn on the fly. His seven-year
international career has been marked by a disappointing pattern of “one
step forward, two steps back,” and he has not been able to sustain strong
form.
However, Kusal has been thrown into the role during a
mediocre beginning to a campaign that many were cautiously enthusiastic about,
mostly due to the circumstances. Due to a quadriceps injury, Dasun Shanaka, an
exceptional captain who won supporters for his ability to bring a team out of
its doldrums, would be missing the remainder of the competition.
As a result, Shanaka’s batting had declined to such a
concerning degree that even a late comeback to chase 429 against South Africa
appeared more to contain the damage than to give hope that he would resume his
vicious ball-striking skills. It did not help that he was a reluctant bowler.
Kusal was mostly alone himself on Tuesday during Sri
Lanka’s first practise session in Bengaluru under lights, concentrating on his
unique quirks like as his shadow swing, creative forward defence, ducking and
weaving bouncers, and straight driving. Up until he was tapped by the team
manager, he was in his own little bubble, or the “zone,” as they put
it.
After that, he moved over to view things up close and
watched Mathews go through the motions with head coach Chris Silverwood.
Naturally, Mathews was Sri Lanka’s captain in 2015 when Kusal made his debut as
an extraordinarily gifted batter. The way the wheels had now turned. Instead of
viewing Mathews as a little young prodigy who could hardly speak a few words to
a leader, he was now evaluating him as a leader.
That one instance summed up Kusal’s difficulties. From
someone eager to improve himself and give it his all to someone who now has to
consider the needs of the team above and beyond his personal objectives. There
are five league games remaining, and Sri Lanka needs to win them all. Bowlers
must be managed, plans must be developed with coaches, senior players must be
supported, dealing the media and the criticism that comes with the role must
all be done.
Kusal’s see-ball-hit-ball strategy is remarkably
straightforward as a batter. Perhaps captaincy is not so easy. However, Kusal’s
ability to control his batting without letting the demands of the job get to
him will be crucial. Perhaps in a bilateral series, it’s simpler to accomplish
this. But with everything on the line, these next two weeks could determine his
trajectory of development in a role he must grow into at its most difficult.