c’s Devdutt Padikkal walks back to the pavilion after losing his wicket to Chennai Super Kings’ Jamie Overton during their Indian Premier League 2026 match at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Devdutt Padikkal plays a shot during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 T20 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings, in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
| Photo Credit: PTI

The standout features of Devdutt Padikkal’s batting this IPL have been his acceleration and shot-making range.
| Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar

Devdutt Padikkal, who was unbeaten on 86, continued from where he had left off on September 18, by hitting 150 off 281 balls as the hosts declared their innings at 531 for 7. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Days after returning from the Test tour to Australia, Devdutt Padikkal seamlessly switched into white-ball mode and smashed a match-winning century for Karnataka against Baroda in the quarterfinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

He followed it up with another crucial 86 against defending champion Haryana to guide his side home to the summit clash. It was his seventh consecutive 50-plus score in List-A cricket, a format Padikkal revels in. He averages a staggering 82.52, which is the best in the world among players with more than 2000 runs.

“I enjoy batting in one-dayers because you have a situation where you have to adapt throughout the innings,” Padikkal told The Hindu recently. “You play the first 10 overs in the PowerPlay, then move out of it, and then again you have a different scenario in the end. 

“I enjoy adapting and changing my game as and when required. So that’s why, I guess, this is one of the best formats for me.”

For Padikkal, the current run is a continuation of a purple patch that started over a year ago, which helped the 24-year-old become India’s 314th Test cricketer when he debuted against England in Dharamshala in March 2024. 

Though he played only one more Test, the first game against Australia in Perth in the just-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Padikkal is enjoying this phase of his career.

“I am very motivated and looking forward to whatever is left of this season,” Padikkal said about being in a happy space. “Being part of the Test squad drives you even further to push those limits, and that’s all I’m going to be looking to do this season as well. It’s important that I keep my foot on the pedal and not take it off.”

While he made his India debut in 2021 as part of a second-string T20I squad that toured Sri Lanka, his return to the national colours last year was a tangible proof of his progress.

“It’s pretty surreal. As a cricketer growing up, you want to play Test cricket for India, and being there in that entire series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was like a dream. Obviously, I would have liked to contribute more. But now, it is up to me to continue working hard and getting back up there,” said the stylish left-hander.

Padikkal first announced himself as one to watch out for in the 2019-20 domestic season, and followed it up with two good campaigns in the IPL for RCB.

However, shortly after that, his career graph dipped. He was also suffering from a gastrointestinal issue which compounded his problems. But last season, he hit his stride again, topping the run charts for his team in the Hazare Trophy and hitting three centuries in four Ranji Trophy outings. A century and two half-centuries for India-A against England Lions also ensured he was drafted into the Test squad against England.

“Technically, I did not make any changes; it remained the same,” explained Padikkal. “It was more about the mental part… to shift those limits I have been stuck with over the last 4-5 years. It was vital that I pushed myself to take that next step and came out of my comfort zone.”

“I think it’s all about having that hunger for runs,” Padikkal went on. “To be honest, everyone has the skill and talent to make it big at this level, but it’s all about that hunger… how badly you want it. 

“Sometimes, it’s very easy to get lost in the grind and forget why you started [playing cricket]. At the end of the day, you know you enjoy scoring runs. That’s something I have gone back to, and that’s helping me now,” he added.

Speaking about the health issue he suffered, Padikkal stated that it taught him a valuable lesson. “There were a lot of mitigating circumstances during that period. I felt sick, and I pretty much didn’t have any focus on cricket at that point.” 

“I had to make sure that I was healthy. So that was a pretty dragged-out problem that I suffered, and it made me physically weaker. Obviously, that put me in a position where I couldn’t push myself on the ground. 

“When you are in a state of mind where you are not entirely confident with your body, it transfers onto the ground and into your batting. So that was something that I had to go through in that phase. 

“Now that I have that experience behind me, I know how to handle situations where I am not feeling my best, and that has put me in a good state.”

At a time when the Test team might be readying itself to transition, Padikkal could be one of those from the next crop of batters who could be trusted to take over from the seniors.

“It’s important that we youngsters continue to keep pushing the limit, and are always ready to grab that opportunity because you never know when that comes. It could happen anytime. So it’s important that each time you go out to bat, you put yourself in a situation where you are getting ready to play at the highest level. 

“You need to make sure that you are putting in that effort day in and day out and have that discipline and commitment towards the game. If we continue to do that, we will be ready,” Paddikal said.

At 24, Padikkal has already seen the highs and lows of being a professional cricketer and might be hitting his groove at the right time.

“I have had a lot of experience at such a young age, and I have played a lot of cricket over the last 5-6 years as well. It’s good that I am in my mid-20s and now at a stage where I understand my game better. It’s going to be a really exciting time ahead for me,” Padikkal said, before signing off.

Hitting form: Sai Sudharsan’s partnership with Padikkal sparked the India-A revival.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Rising youngsters B. Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal struck fighting fifties after Mukesh Kumar’s searing six-wicket haul to put India-A in command with a 120-run lead against Australia-A on day two of their first ‘Unofficial Test’ here on Friday.

Mukesh stole the show, claiming 6 for 46 to help India-A restrict Australia-A to 195 in their first innings but despite the Bengal seamer’s heroic efforts, the hosts secured a crucial 88-run lead. The visitors had scored 107 in their first essay.

India-A once again suffered a jittery start in their second innings with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (5) and fellow opener Abhimanyu Easwaran (12) getting out cheaply to leave the team at 30 for 2 in 8.5 overs.

Gaikwad, who fell for a golden duck in the first innings, this time nicked Fergus O’Neill to second slip where Cameron Bancroft took a low catch.

While Easwaran, who had notched up four consecutive first-class centuries to earn a spot in the senior team as cover for skipper Rohit Sharma for the upcoming Test series against Australia, once again recorded a single-digit score, this time getting run out while backing up for Sai Sudharsan.

But thereafter Sudharsan and Padikkal showed fine temperament and soaked in the pressure on the bouncy pitch to produce an unbroken 178-run stand for the third wicket to help India seize control.

Sudharsan hit nine boundaries in his 185-ball 96, while Padikkal was unbeaten on 80 from 167 balls, scoring five fours.

Padikkal played a patient yet composed knock, working the ball around for quick singles and capitalising on loose deliveries to reach his fifty.

At the other end, Sudharsan exhibited his range of shots, particularly adept at dispatching anything short, cutting and pulling with precision.

His well-timed boundaries, including a powerful pull past square leg and a fluent cover drive, allowed him to reach his own half-century as they took the team past 200.

India-A now have an overall lead of 120 runs with two more days left in the four-day fixture.

The scores:

India-A 107 and 208/2 in 64 overs (Sai Sudharsan 96 batting, Devdutt Padikkal 80 batting) vs Australia-A 195 in 62.4 overs (Nathan McSweeney 39; Mukesh Kumar 6/46, Prasidh Krishna 3/59).

Devdutt Padikkal plays a shot on Day 2 of the 5th Test match against England, at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, in Dharamsala on Friday.
| Photo Credit: ANI

 More than once, the ball off the outside edge of his bat flew out of fielders’ reach.

Some misfields raised his boundary count. A couple of off-drives and one cover drive from the left-hander had the crowd at the HPCA Stadium here at its feet. A straight six brought up his 50 on Test debut. In short, Devdutt Padikkal’s knock had a touch of everything from being fortuitous to fantastic.

Riding on the confidence of scoring 556 runs for Karnataka in the current Ranji Trophy season, not to forget his 191 runs, including a century, from three innings for India-A against England Lions earlier this year, Padikkal displayed style and elegance on the biggest stage on Friday.

His 103-ball 65 — dotted with six and 10 boundaries, mostly on the off-side — came at a time when India needed to tighten its grip on the match. The 97-run fourth-wicket stand with Sarfaraz Khan — his team-mate from India — kept the host on course of batting out the opposition.

Padikkal knew of his debut after Rajat Patidar reported sick on the eve of this match. “Regardless of when you get to know (of your debut), there is always going to be nervousness around. That was still there. I got a message the previous night saying that I could be playing. I was nervous, it was a tough night’s sleep but it is something you also enjoy at the same time. You live for those days.”

Interestingly, the left-hander chose the edged-boundary past the lone slip as his best of the 10 fours on this day.

“Every boundary is enjoyable but the first boundary, off the edge, was most enjoyable because those were my first runs in Test cricket.”

Asked to reflect on the phase when stomach illness kept him away from nets, Padikkal said, “I have always believed that discipline is the key to success. During sickness, I couldn’t do much, but I made sure I was not lagging behind in other areas. I continued to work on myself whether mentally or any other small thing.”

When spin claims all 11 wickets on the opening day of a Test, it is not surprising to find the preparedness of the pitch under scrutiny. But the contrasting ways in which the two teams dealt with spin, soon put a lid on the simmering discussion.

After England opted to bat, Kuldeep Yadav and R. Ashwin took turns to claim nine wickets and Ravindra Jadeja made his presence felt by taking out Joe Root as England tumbled from 175 for three to 218.

The gains provided the spinners stood further enhanced after India raced to 135 for one at stumps. Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal posted their first century stand of the season in under 21 overs.

Soon after reaching his half century, Jaiswal gifted his wicket to Shoaib Bashir, the man whom he hoisted for three sixes in an over. All three Indian batters on view did not hold back their strokes. Rohit and Shubman Gill, too, hit two sixes each.The Indian innings has produced 13 boundaries and seven sixes in 30 overs and quickly moved within 83 runs of England’s tally.

The batters did provide a ‘feel-good’ feeling in home dressing room at the end of a full day’s play. But the hero of the day was Kuldeep, who made a spectacular return to the venue where he made his debut with four for 68 against Australia in March 2017.

After Ashwin was introduced in the 15th over and Kuldeep in the 18th, the left-arm wrist-spinner got his act right off the sixth ball. Welcomed with boundaries by Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, Kuldeep came back almost immediately by mixing drift and turn.

Duckett went after a googly from Kuldeep but his miscued shot ended up in a brilliant running catch by Gill, who ran back to dive in time to take it. Ollie Pope stepped out but misread the spin to be stumped at the stroke of lunch.

In the second session, England was cruising along and reached 137 when Crawley, after producing his best of 79 in this series, became Kuldeep’s third victim. The ball turned and crashed into Crawley’s stumps as the batter shaped to play defensively.

Though Root continued his form from Ranchi, Jonny Bairstow looked keen to enjoy his 100th Test outing. But his 18-ball 29, during which he reached 6000 Test runs, ended with Jurel producing a reflex catch off a faint edge. Root was trapped leg-before by Jadeja and danger-man Ben Stokes surprisingly chose a backfoot on-drive to become Kuldeep’s fifth scalp.

After three wickets fell in the space of 13 dot balls, England looked at Ben Foakes to rebuild with the tailenders but did not reckon with Ashwin’s strike-power.

The off-spinner removed Tom Hartley and Mark Wood in one over before tea, returned to pack off Foakes and James Anderson in what turned out to be the last over of the innings.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND — 1ST INNINGS: Zak Crawley b Kuldeep 79 (108b, 11×4, 1×6), Ben Duckett c Gill b Kuldeep 27 (58b, 4×4), Ollie Pope st. Jurel b Kuldeep 11 (24b), Joe Root lbw b Jadeja 26 (56b, 4×4), Jonny Bairstow c Jurel b Kuldeep 29 (18b, 2×4, 2×6), Ben Stokes lbw b Kuldeep 0 (6b), Ben Foakes b Ashwin 24 (42b, 3×4), Tom Hartley c Padikkal b Ashwin 6 (9b, 1×4), Mark Wood c Rohit b Ashwin 0 (2b), Shoaib Bashir (not out) 11 (22b, 2×4), James Anderson c Padikkal b Ashwin 0 (3b); Extras (b-2, lb-1, nb-2): 5.

Total (in 57.4 overs): 218.

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-64 (Duckett, 17.6 overs), 2-100 (Pope, 25.3), 3-137 (Crawley, 37.2), 4-175 (Bairstow, 43.4), 5-175 (Root, 44.2), 6-175 (Stokes, 45.4), 7-183 (Hartley, 49.2), 8-183 (Wood, 49.4), 9-218 (Foakes, 57.1).

INDIA BOWLING: Bumrah 13-2-51-0, Siraj 8-1-24-0, Ashwin 11.4-1-51-4, Kuldeep 15-1-72-5, Jadeja 10-2-17-1.

INDIA — 1ST INNINGS: Yashasvi Jaiswal st. Foakes b Bashir 57 (58b, 5×4, 3×6), Rohit Sharma (batting) 52 (83b, 6×4, 2×6), Shubman Gill (batting) 26 (39b, 2×4, 2×6)

Total (for one wkt. in 30 overs): 135.

FALL OF WICKET: 1-104 (Jaiswal, 20.4).

ENGLAND BOWLING: Anderson 4-1-4-0, Wood 3-0-21-0, Hartley 12-0-46-0, Bashir 11-2-64-1.

Toss: England.