Devdutt Padikkal has recently become the hot topic of discussion in the past 12-15 months. Padikkal is a young left-handed opening batsman who has risen on to the Indian circuit through IPL and has given outstanding performances for his side Royal Challenger Bangalore in the past two seasons of the IPL. Yesterday night, he was selected for the Indian squad for the white ball series against Sri Lanka starting in July. Here are some lesser-known facts about Devdutt Padikkal that we have discovered throughout his journey.
1) Cricketer from a young age
These days if you have to idolise becoming a cricketer and make that dream come true, you have to start early. The practice and the hard work need to begin at an early age. This was the case with Padikkal as well, as he started his training and started devoting his time from the tender age of eleven. He was born in a small town of Kerala named Edappal. When he shifted to Bangalore, he enrolled himself in the Karnataka Institute of Cricket and started playing there.
2) Idolising the greats of the game
Like every other young Indian, Padikkal also used to idolise the then Indian team players. He used to worship the great wall of India, Rahul Dravid, and incidentally, both happen to be from the same state Karnataka and have studied at the same school (St Joseph’s Boys school). At the same time, he loved watching Gautam Gambhir bat and has said that it was from Gambhir’s batting that he learned a few techniques and shots as a fellow left-hander.
3) First significant selection
In 2017, he was selected to play for a team in the popular Karnataka Premier League. Then, this league was quite known for making a mark in Indian cricket and would have helped to step onto the fray. Padikkal was selected to play for Bellary Tuskers and played the tournament like a wild goat as he smashed teams while opening the batting. He also won the emerging player of the year award for the tournament.
4) Handy bowler
People know Devdutt Padikkal for his batting prowess and pedigree, but the audience must understand that he is a handy right-arm-off spinner. He is known to have a knack for breaking partnerships at crucial stages of the game and getting breakthroughs for his team. This might be useful when he plays for India, as India has fewer batsmen who can chip in with a few overs.
5) Dominating the domestic circuit
Like any other youngster, Padikkal wanted to stamp his authority in the domestic circuit by scoring runs. So he scored runs for fun and smashed sixes all over the park. In the 2019-20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he hit 33 sixes and was the highest run-scorer (580 runs) which was beneficial for his side’s triumph at the tournament.
Devdutt Padikkal will indeed become a household name in the times to come and has shown his class over and over again. If allowed to perform, he would repay the faith and give his absolute best to victory for his side.
