Devdutt Padikkal: Being part of the Test squad drives you to push your limits
Devdutt Padikkal: Being part of the Test squad drives you to push your limits
Days after returning from the Test tour of Australia, Devdutt Padikkal effortlessly switched into white-ball mode, smashing a match-winning century for Karnataka against Baroda in the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarterfinals.
He followed it up with a vital 86 against defending champion Haryana to guide his side to the summit clash. It marked his seventh consecutive 50-plus score in List-A cricket – a format in which Padikkal thrives. He averages an extraordinary 82.52 — currently the highest in the world among players with more than 2,000 runs.
“I enjoy batting in one-dayers because you have a situation where you have to adapt throughout the innings,” Padikkal told Sportstar 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.”
The current purple patch is a continuation of a stellar run that began over a year ago, culminating in the 24-year-old becoming India’s 314th Test debutant against England in Dharamsala in March 2024.
Although he has played just one more Test — the opening game against Australia in Perth during the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy —Padikkal is relishing 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.”
Padikkal made his India debut in 2021 as part of a second-string T20I squad that toured Sri Lanka, but his return to the national colours last year was tangible proof of his progress.
“It’s 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 left-hander.
Padikkal first announced himself as a player to watch in the 2019-20 domestic season, and followed it up with two impressive IPL campaigns for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, even winning the Emerging Player award in his first season.
However, his career graph dipped shortly thereafter, compounded by a gastrointestinal issue that further hampered his progress. Last season, however, he rediscovered his rhythm, finishing as Karnataka’s top scorer in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and hitting three centuries in four Ranji Trophy matches. A century and two half-centuries for India-A against England Lions secured his place in the Test squad for the series against England.
“Technically, I did not make any changes; it remained the same,” Padikkal explained. “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 added. “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 said.
Reflecting on his health issues, Padikkal shared that the phase taught him valuable lessons. “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 appears to be transitioning, Padikkal could be one of the next-generation batters trusted to take over from the senior players.
“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,” Padikkal said.
At 24, Padikkal has already experienced the highs and lows of professional cricket and seems to be hitting his stride at the perfect 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 an exciting time ahead for me,” Padikkal concluded.
