Devdutt Padikkal has been making a lot of noise in the Karnataka cricket scene and is widely regarded as the next big thing. The cricketer, who was born in Edapal, bats left-handed and bowls good off-spin.
Career
Domestic Career
Devdutt rose to prominence after being selected in the KPL Draft by the Bellary Tuskers in 2017. Against the Bengaluru Blasters in the 2017 KPL, he shattered 72, evoking memories of Yuvraj Singh’s earlier days. On November 28, 2018, Devdutt made his first-class debut for Karnataka in the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy. Devdutt has scored 907 runs in 15 FC games so far, with his best score being 99.
Devdutt was also a member of the winning U-19 Asia Cup squad. In four matches, the left-hander scored 183 runs at an average of 45.75, with a top score of 121 against the UAE in Bangladesh. Devdutt made a strong start to the domestic season in 2019-20. In the first game of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he scored 58 against Jharkand. After the knock, the youngster had no choice but to turn around. He made his first list A tonne against Saurashtra and then followed it up with another unbeaten century against Goa in the next game.
He has 580 runs from 12 T20 matches, with an average of 64.44 and a strike rate of 175.75, including a brilliant 122* in his senior state team debut.
IPL Career
The 20-year-old was selected by his home team, Royal Challengers Bangalore, in the 2019 IPL auctions, owing to his talent and age. Devdutt Padikkal was benched for the entire IPL 2019 season, despite having nothing to prove apart from a few strong knocks in the Ranji Trophy.
The IPL 2020 season is predicted to be a watershed moment for the superstar, with a strong possibility of him being named to the starting XI on a regular basis.
Batting alongside giants like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Aaron Finch, and even an established batsman like Parthiv Patel can only help Devdutt Padikkal, even though the weight of fan expectations will slow him down.
Background
Devdutt’s father was a lifelong cricket fan who first saw his son catching a bat when he was just three years old. His adventure began when his family relocated from Hyderabad to Bangalore in order to provide him with better cricketing opportunities. Left-handed batsmen considered the Karnataka Institute of Cricket in Bangalore to be an excellent fit, and they enrolled in the summer camp in 2009. Devdutt’s mentor, Naseeruddin, observed him batting at the nets and knew he had a gifted player on his side.