Born in a small district of Kerala, the tall and lanky Devdutt Padikkal is currently a name to reckon with in domestic cricket. The southpaw is majestic to watch and when he gets going, Paddikal can single-handedly take the game away from the opposition. In this article, we bring some of the lesser-things to know about Devdutt Padikkal.
Meanwhile, Padikkal first made the headlines with his ruthless run-scoring spree in the Karnataka Premier League for Bellary Tuskers. He scored centuries at will and was immediately rewarded with the Ranji Trophy cap. Since then, he has not looked back.
Royal Challengers Bangalore acquired his services ahead of IPL 2019 for a mere Rs 20 lakh. Although he had to warm the benches in 2019, Devdutt Padikkal gained valuable experiences sharing the dressing room with some of the modern-day greats.
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Playing for Karnataka, he set the stage on fire with one outstanding performance after another. In the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, he scored a staggering 609 runs in 11 matches to finish as the highest run-getter in the tournament and help his team win the title.
As if that wasn’t enough, he scored the most runs in the following Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy as well, with 580 runs from 12 games at a phenomenal strike-rate of 175.75.
Devdutt Padikkal made his IPL debut against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Royal Challengers Bangalore‘s IPL 2020 opener. The 20-year-old made the opportunity count with a fine half-century against a star-studded Hyderabad bowling.
Bangalore will bank on the youngster in the upcoming matches as the Kohli-led side continues their hunt for their maiden IPL trophy.
Here are 5 things you need to know about the teenager Devudutt Padikkal:
1. Devdutt Padikkal idolises former India skipper Rahul Dravid, who also hails from Karnataka.
2. The 20-year-old cricketer is a self-confessed Manchester United fan, who participates in the English Premier League.
3. Padikkal’s family, who is a crazy sports-lover much like every other Indian family, wanted him to be a right-handed batsman. However, he picked up a plastic bat that was on offer with his left-handed only at the age of three; much to the surprise of his family.
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4. Devdutt Padikkal began playing cricket as early as from the age of 9. His family moved from Hyderabad to Bangalore to ensure better cricket coaching for their son.
5. The southpaw has represented India U-19 and has also been a part of India A squad.
