Sri Lankan spinner who bowled with both hands — and broke Bangladesh

A look at ambidextrous bowlers around the world who shocked their rivals

Last updated:
A.K.S. Satish, Sports Editor
2 MIN READ
Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis (centre) celebrates with teammates after dismissing Bangladesh's Taskin Ahmed during the first One-Day International in Colombo on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis (centre) celebrates with teammates after dismissing Bangladesh's Taskin Ahmed during the first One-Day International in Colombo on Wednesday.
AFP

Dubai: One minute, Bangladesh were cruising. The next, they were clueless — flummoxed by a bowler who couldn’t make up his mind which arm to bowl with.

Chasing 245 under lights in the first ODI, Bangladesh were comfortably placed at 100 for one before enduring a jaw-dropping meltdown. In the space of just 26 deliveries, they lost seven wickets for five runs, eventually crashing to 167 all out as Sri Lanka secured a 77-run win on Wednesday.

It was the ambidextrous Kamindu Mendis who spun the game on its head — and from both sides, quite literally.

Bowling left-arm orthodox spin, Mendis removed Towhid Hridoy and Tanzim Hasan Sakib in his first eight balls. Then, with Bangladesh in a daze, he switched to right-arm off-spin and dismissed Taskin Ahmed three deliveries later. He finished with an outrageous 3 for 19 in five overs — a stat line as bizarre as his method.

Spin trio suffocate Bangladesh

Wanindu Hasaranga played the more traditional role with his leg-spin, while Mendis’ dual act gave Sri Lanka three distinct spin options. Bangladesh’s middle and lower order couldn’t find an answer — or even figure out the question — during a stunning passage of play that turned a routine chase into a rout.

Ambidextrous bowlers: The rarest on cricket

For Mendis, becoming the first Sri Lankan to score eight consecutive 50-plus scores since debut in Tests, the impact was two-fold.

Mendis might be the man in the headlines, but he’s part of a niche club of cricketers who’ve bowled with both arms in professional cricket.

Here are a few notable names:

Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka): Bowls right-arm off-spin and left-arm orthodox spin — often in the same over.

Akshay Karnewar (India): A domestic-level ambidextrous bowler with viral videos showcasing both styles.

Yasir Jan (Pakistan): A rare ambidextrous pace bowler.

Jemma Barsby (Australia): A women’s cricketer who switches arms depending on the batter.

Shaila Sharmin (Bangladesh): Another female ambidextrous spinner from Bangladesh.

Hanif Mohammad (Pakistan): Believed to be the first to bowl with both arms in a Test.

Graham Gooch (England): Occasionally bowled left-arm when games drifted towards a draw.

Hashan Tillakaratne (Sri Lanka): The wicketkeeper shocked fans by bowling with both hands during the closing stages of the 1996 World Cup match against Kenya.

A.K.S. Satish
A.K.S. SatishSports Editor
From playing on the pitch to analysing it from the press box, Satish has spent over three decades living and breathing sport. A cricketer-turned-journalist, he has covered three Cricket World Cups, the 2025 Champions Trophy, countless IPL seasons, F1 races, horse racing classics, and tennis in Dubai. Cricket is his home ground, but he sees himself as an all-rounder - breaking stories, building pages, going live on podcasts, and interviewing legends across every corner of the sporting world. Satish started on the back pages, and earned his way to the front, now leading the sports team at Gulf News, where he has spent 25 years navigating the fast-evolving game of journalism. Whether it’s a Super-Over thriller or a behind-the-scenes story, he aims to bring insight, energy, and a fan’s heart to every piece. Because like sport, journalism is about showing up, learning every day, and giving it everything.

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