April 26, 2025: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) head coach Daniel Vettori was full of praise for all-rounder Kamindu Mendis after his impactful performance against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their IPL 2025 clash on Friday. Mendis played a crucial role with both bat and ball as SRH secured a five-wicket win, lifting themselves off the bottom of the points table.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Vettori explained the strategic decision behind picking Mendis for the game, citing the nature of the pitch and Mendis’s strength against spin bowling.
“I think he’s been incredibly impressive,” said Vettori. “A lot of the logic was picking him for this ground here… to have a batsman who has the ability to play all types of spin, be aggressive, be able to hit a multitude of shots.”
Vettori also highlighted Mendis’s underrated bowling ability, praising his control and versatility.
“I probably didn’t quite appreciate how good his bowling was with both arms… his ability to go back and forward and control his pace and even change his pace is a real skill,” he added.
Another key factor in SRH’s victory was the toss. Vettori noted that winning it and choosing to bowl first allowed them to deal with the dew factor more effectively.
“We were fortunate in winning the toss and being able to bowl first to mitigate a little bit of that dew… even during our bowling innings, there were times it became an issue. I think you saw Zeeshan wiping the ball,” he said.
The match saw standout performances including a four-wicket haul by Harshal Patel and strong batting efforts from Ishan Kishan and Kamindu Mendis. Their contributions helped SRH chase down the target with five wickets in hand.
With this win, SRH now sits at eighth place in the points table with three wins and six losses (6 points), while CSK, with just two wins from nine matches, have dropped to the bottom with four points.