Karnataka batsman Devdutt Padikkal expressed his satisfaction after hitting his third century in the current Ranji Trophy season, stating his confidence in bouncing back after a challenging period in the previous season. The 23-year-old, who battled health issues in 2022, struggled to perform last season, tallying only 260 runs in seven Ranji Trophy innings.
Padikkal said: “I wasn’t doing too well in last couple of years, resulting in a dip in my performance. But, I was always confident about getting back to scoring runs, and also in terms of my health and fitness. So, happy about it,” he said on the sidelines of the match against Tamil Nadu.
“It’s always great to score runs. We understand that when you are not scoring runs, it’s not a great place to be.”
However, he has shown significant improvement this season, scoring three centuries and emerging as the top run-scorer for Karnataka with over 500 runs. On Friday, Padikkal played an outstanding innings, scoring an undefeated 151 runs from 216 balls, which included 12 boundaries and six maximums. His stellar performance helped Karnataka reach 288 for 5 on the first day of their Group C match against Tamil Nadu.
Padikkal recorded scores of 193 and 103 against Punjab and Goa respectively last month, followed by a century for India A against England Lions in Ahmedabad. Despite being an opener, he has been batting at number three this season.
He further added: “It’s (batting position) just the way our team was set up. I don’t mind batting at number three or opening – doesn’t make a huge difference. So, I’m just making sure that wherever I bat, I contribute to the side.”
“It’s (attacking approach) natural. As you play more and more cricket and gain experience at this level, you will naturally be able to play more shots and be confident about your areas. I’m still young and learning, and over the years, I have tried to develop shots and evolve as a cricketer.”
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