Know Your Player – Devdutt Padikkal
Cricketing milestones, rise through the ranks, trials and tribulations and their glamorous lifestyles – we cover it all in ‘Know Your Player’, a brand-new section aimed at keeping you updated with everything you need to know! In this edition, we take a look at the rising talented batsman in Indian domestic cricket, Devdutt Padikkal.
The Rise
Devdutt was born in Edapal, Kerala, but his parents moved to Hyderabad before eventually settling in Bangalore in 2011. At the age of 17, Padikkal was selected for the Karnataka Premier League. He hogged the limelight with his knock of 53-ball 72 for Ballari Tuskers. He then continued to pile runs in age-group cricket.
The left-hander then made his first-class debut for Karnataka in the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy. In December 2018, Padikkal was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the player auction for the 2019 IPL. However, he only got his opportunity in IPL 2020. Utilising the opportunity, he became the first player in IPL history to score three fifties in his first four matches.
Padikkal won the Emerging Player Award for the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL), playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He scored 473 runs in 15 matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore in his debut IPL season.
Meanwhile, Padikkal made his List A debut on 26 September 2019, for Karnataka in the 2019–20 Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was the leading run-scorer in the tournament, with 609 runs in eleven matches. He later made his Twenty20 debut on 8 November 2019 in the 2019–20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Career Highlights
Off The Field
Padikkal is a fitness-lover much like any other professional sportsman. He recently completed one million followers on Instagram.
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