Devdutt Padikkal’s radiant smile illuminated the moment as he received his India Test cap from Ravichandran Ashwin, yet behind the façade of happiness lay the arduous journey the 23-year-old had endured to reach this pinnacle.
Over the preceding two years, since his debut for India in a T20I against Sri Lanka in 2021, Devdutt’s path had been beset with challenges. A bout of COVID-19 coupled with a persistent stomach ailment had thwarted his progress, causing significant weight loss and incessant health struggles.
Nevertheless, perseverance prevailed, and Devdutt’s resilience bore fruit during the 2023-24 season for Karnataka, across various formats. His campaign commenced with a commendable performance in the T20s, where he amassed 119 runs in five matches, boasting a striking rate of 118 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. However, his true prowess shone through in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he ascended to the summit as Karnataka’s leading run-scorer, accumulating a staggering 465 runs from five matches, including two centuries and three half-centuries, at an astonishing average of 155.
Irfan Sait, founder of KIOC exclusively made a statement: “We kept talking to each other over phone, and incidentally, I was also having the same condition and we were consulting the same doctor in the Jain Hospital without each other knowing.”
“Mohammed Naseerudden, another coach here, too has been close to him and kept in touch with him during those low-mood phases.”
“I have known Devdutt from the age of 11 when he relocated to Bangalore from Hyderabad to pursue a career in cricket. He was a determined kid and the illness did not change anything.
“He worked really hard on his fitness and diet ahead of the 2023 season because he wanted to get back to the place where he was in 2020-21.”
Although his national commitments limited his participation in the Ranji Trophy to just four matches, Devdutt continued to dominate, amassing 556 runs and emerging as the top scorer for Karnataka. Notably, his innings of 193 against Punjab exemplified his prowess with the bat. Moreover, pivotal performances for India A, including a century against England Lions and a masterful 151 against Tamil Nadu, captured the attention of chief selector Ajit Agarkar, reaffirming Devdutt’s standing as a promising talent on the rise.
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