Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis had an awkward moment while attending a press conference on Saturday, where a reporter asked the player if he had any regrets leaving the Pakistan Super League (PSL) midway last year to join Gujarat Titans in the IPL.
The question was like a bouncer for Mendis which he could not duck, and that is when the moderator of the presser intervened and came to his rescue.
Mendis, who is playing for Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 2026, featured in eight matches for Quetta Gladiators last year but left the tournament midway citing security concerns. He travelled to India and joined GT as a replacement player for the IPL 2025 playoffs.
However, ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, GT released him, and he wasn’t picked by any team this season. This year, Mendis returned to the PSL with Peshawar Zalmi and has been in great form, scoring 241 runs in just four matches.
When asked by a reporter about his decision last year to leave the PSL for the IPL and whether he regrets it now, especially after going unsold in the IPL auction this year.
Before Mendis could respond, the moderator stepped in and asked the reporter to keep questions limited to the PSL and the team’s match. The reporter insisted that the question was still related to the PSL, but Mendis chose not to answer and stayed silent until the next question was asked by another reporter.
With the IPL and PSL happening around the same time, overseas players often have to pick one league over the other. But in reality, there’s no direct competition between the two, as the IPL offers bigger money, higher competition and more global attention than any other T20 league.
It’s also common to see overseas players join the PSL only if they are not picked in the IPL auction. In some cases, like Mendis last year, players have even left PSL teams midway when an opportunity in the IPL comes up.
