Former India captain Ravi Shastri called it, simply, “The catch of IPL.”
On a night where pressure choked many, Kamindu Mendis soared — quite literally — to deliver a moment that could well define Sunrisers Hyderabad’s IPL 2025 campaign.
His gravity-defying catch at long-off to dismiss Dewald Brevis not only silenced a roaring Chepauk but also turned the tide in the match squarely in SRH’s favour.
Brevis, who had earned the moniker ‘Baby AB’, looked every bit the superstar in the making. After taking apart Kamindu for three sixes in an over, he was threatening to launch CSK into a commanding position.
He’d raced to 42 off 25 balls and looked hungry for more when Harshal Patel delivered a slower ball in the slot. Brevis launched into it, a clean hit destined for the sightscreen — or so it seemed.
Stationed at long-off, Mendis initially looked out of position. He was inside the rope, and the ball was dipping away. But what followed was a moment of pure athletic brilliance. Mendis sprinted back, flung himself full stretch to his left — his non-dominant side — and stuck both hands out like a goalkeeper diving at full tilt. The ball stuck in his right hand, and just like that, the most dangerous CSK batter on the night was gone.
Ian Bishop captured the brilliance perfectly on air, “Which is his weak side, we never know.”
Even SRH CEO and co-owner Kavya Maran was visibly stunned, her face lighting up in disbelief and delight.
Former India captain Ravi Shastri called it, simply, “The catch of IPL.”
The flying Sri Lankan wasn’t done. That effort in the field — an exhibition of instinct, practice, and raw skill — would have been enough to seal him as the match’s hero. But Mendis, known for his ambidextrous spin and handy batting, had more to give.
Earlier, he had chipped in with the ball, bowling a tidy spell of 1/26 and removing the dangerous Ravindra Jadeja. Post-match, he was calm while recalling the Brevis catch, “It was my left hand. When I do fielding, I practise both sides and it happened naturally. My dominant arm is right, but I’m comfortable with both.”
His calmness under pressure was once again on display during the chase. After CSK, powered by Brevis and cameos from Deepak Hooda, put up 154, SRH’s pursuit stumbled briefly. But Mendis partnered with Nitish Kumar Reddy to stitch an unbeaten 49-run stand that saw Hyderabad home with eight balls to spare.
Mendis’s 32* off 22 balls was a calculated and composed effort, and he took the attack to CSK’s death specialists -- hitting key boundaries off Matheesha Pathirana and Noor Ahmed. That finishing touch, combined with Nitish’s smart shot selection and CSK’s inability to control extras, ensured SRH registered their first-ever win at Chepauk — on a night meant to be about Dhoni’s 400th T20 appearance.
Harshal Patel may have headlined the bowling charts with 4/28, and Ishan Kishan’s steady 44 kept the innings grounded, but this match belonged to Kamindu Mendis — in the air, on the ground, and at the finish line.
On a day filled with drama, disappointment, and a stunned Chepauk crowd, Mendis gave the IPL its moment of magic.