From Kamindu Mendis To Graham Gooch; Five Players Who Bowled With Both Hands

Sri Lankan Kamindu Mendis is a rare bowler who can bowl with both hands (X.com)

Cricket, with its rich history and ever-evolving strategies, has seen many unique talents and skills over the years. One of the rarest skills in the game is the ability to bowl with both hands. 

Ambidextrous bowlers are those who can bowl with both their right and left hands, allowing them to gain a rare advantage over the opposition's batting lineup. It goes without saying that this skill is incredibly rare and requires a high level of coordination and practice to master the art. 

On that note, here at OneCricket, we found five such ambidextrous bowlers who can bowl with both hands.

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1.Kamindu Mendis

Kamindu Mendis (X.com)

Kamindu Mendis, a Sri Lankan cricketer, is one of the most prominent ambidextrous bowlers in modern cricket. Mendis has the unique ability to bowl both right-arm off-spin and left-arm orthodox spin. 

He first showcased his extraordinary skills in the 2016 U19 World Cup when he picked 3 wickets against Afghanistan. The world took notice of him and Mendis, encouraged by the support, improved his ambidextrous skills.

Meanwhile, in a recent T20I against India held in Colombo, Mendis once again bowled with both hands. He rolled his left arm against righty Suryakumar Yadav and bowled his right arm off-break to lefty Rishabh Pant.

2. Akshay Karnewar 

Akshay Karnewar (X.com)

Indian domestic cricketer Akshay Karnewar caught the attention of the cricketing world with his ambidextrous bowling skills back in 2016. Karnewar, who represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket, can bowl both right-arm off-spin and left-arm orthodox spin.

He owns a total of 69 List A wickets and 62 dismissals in T20 formats. Owing to Akhsay's ambidextrous skills, he bagged an IPL contract from Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2016. However, Karnewar, unfortunately, couldn't make it big and put his rare skills to good use.

3. Hanif Mohammad 

Hanif Mohammad (X.com)

Hanif Mohammad, one of Pakistan's cricketing legends, also made a name for himself with his astonishing ambidextrous skills. He played regularly during the 1950s and 60s as a primary right-handed batter and part-time bowler.

His dual bowling capability added to his reputation as one of the most versatile cricketers of his time. While Mohammad didn't bowl much, he caught attention when he bowled left arm in a match where Garfield Sobers scored 365* runs. 

Interestingly, Hanif Mohammad was a versatile cricketer who could also keep wickets on a given day.

4. Graham Gooch 

Graham Gooch (X.com)

Graham Gooch is one of England's most prolific and respected cricketers, renowned for his exceptional batting skills. However, he occasionally bowled right arm medium pace in Test matches. In 118 career Test games, Gooch picked up 23 wickets as a part time bowler. 

Interestingly, Gooch rose to fame for his rare ability to bowl with both hands as well. He often rolled his left arm in games that were destined to be stalemates. This move not only brought entertainment to the fans but also provided Gooch with an advantage in disturbing the opposition batter's concentration and rhythm. 

5. Hashan Tillakaratne

Hashan Tillakaratne (X.com)

Hashan Tillakaratne is another prominent Sri Lankan on the rare list of ambidextrous bowlers. He played 83 Tests and 200 ODIs for Sri Lanka in his brief international career. However, during the 1996 World Cup, Hashan Tillakaratne stunned the world after he bowled with both hands. 

Primarily a right-arm off-spin bowler, Hasan rolled his left arm for the first time in the World Cup and introduced the world to his rare skill. He was appointed captain of the Sri Lankan team in 2003. But, his tenure as captain was relatively short but noteworthy for his calm and composed leadership style. 

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