Kusal Mendis says he finds joy in captaincy amid World Cup exit

BENGALURU (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka skipper Kusal Mendis, who has struggled with his form since assuming the captaincy in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, said that he enjoyed captaincy despite being disappointed about his performance.

Mendis entered the 2023 ODI World Cup in stellar form but has faltered since taking on the captain's role due to Dasun Shanaka's injury which ruled him out for the entire tournament.

In the initial stages of the World Cup, Mendis showcased his prowess by smashing a magnificent half-century against South Africa at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. 

However, his subsequent dip in form had a direct impact on the team's overall performance. With their key batter underperforming, Sri Lanka only managed to win two out of their nine matches in the 2023 World Cup, leading to their elimination from the semi-final race.

In their final group stage match, New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday.

"We lost 4 wickets in the first 10 overs, and that's what got us into trouble. We could have easily reached 300 on this pitch. Madushanka bowled really well, but it was tough to take wickets because we were defending a small total. Quite enjoyed captaincy, disappointed about my own performance but overall it was enjoyable. Very happy to see players putting their hands up and performing," Mendis commented after the match.