RCB's Devdutt Padikkal does his growing reputation no harm with quickfire fifty on IPL debut

The opener is not an unknown entity like Paul Valthaty, nor a journeyman like Swapnil Asnodkar. He is one of the brightest young prospects to have come up the domestic ranks in the last two years.
Royal Challengers Bangalore player Devdutt Padikkal plays a shot against Sunrisers Hyderabad during a cricket match of IPL 2020 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. (Photo | PTI)
Royal Challengers Bangalore player Devdutt Padikkal plays a shot against Sunrisers Hyderabad during a cricket match of IPL 2020 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. (Photo | PTI)

CHENNAI: It’s generally unwise to say a lot of things about a batsman after just one innings. Especially if he is an opener and the stage is the IPL. Bowlers can’t test you enough with the new ball. On your day if you gain early momentum by hitting a few past the in-field inside the first six overs, anything can happen. Until someone does it consistently, it’s better not to read too much in one act of excellence.

However, there is reason to examine more closely Devdutt Padikkal’s effort for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. The Karnataka opener is not an unknown entity like Paul Valthaty, nor a journeyman like Swapnil Asnodkar. He is one of the brightest young prospects to have come up the domestic ranks in the last two years. It’s not that he can swing his bat around freely, knowing there is nothing to lose. He has a lot to lose actually, the reputation he has built since making his first-class debut in November, 2018.

A berth in the Karnataka eleven is not easy to earn, considering that they have been the best side in domestic cricket in the last few years. After getting a chance when KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal were playing for India, Padikkal has more or less cemented his place. Still to register a first-class hundred (highest 99), he has crossed three figures in the shorter formats, playing a key role in Karnataka’s 50-over and T20 national title wins last season. What makes the player with a T20 strike rate of 171 a special prospect is his ability to change gear in the four-day format. Many of his 10 first-class fifty-plus knocks were patiently crafted. Not many can manage these two extremes. If given a fixed slot instead of being asked to open as well as bat in the middle-order, one can expect the average of 34.88 to improve.

In the eyes of many discerning viewers, Padikkal’s 56 against Sunrisers was hardly a special knock. There is substance in this analysis. Stretching wide to put bat to deliveries pitched well outside off and some of the lifts on the leg side looked ungainly despite fetching boundaries. Not a single drive on the front foot breached the off-side cordon. In fact, he hardly drove along the ground during the innings that lasted 42 balls. Some of the essentials associated with left-handers were missing.

On the other hand, it should also not be overlooked that the bowlers rarely gave Padikkal the driving ball. There were not many in the corridor that invited the drive, other than a few tried by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. If the length was full, the line was wide. Under the circumstances, still finding ways to hit the ball to the fence every now and then was a decent effort. Except for the drive, he hit the ball in a huge arch from fine-leg to square third-man. The lofted extra cover drive off T Natarajan and straight lift off Mitch Marsh bore the signature of a talented batsman.

Because India A tours are off at the moment, IPL is an important outing for the 20-year-old. Right boxes ticked in the domestic circuit, it is time for Padikkal to find out and demonstrate what he can do at a higher level. Many players have caught the attention of national selectors from the IPL. If the lanky left-hander carries on doing what he did on Monday, who knows what is in store! At this stage of his career, even coming into national reckoning without getting selected will be a continuation of the upward journey of his performance graph.

Taking everything into account, Padikkal did his growing reputation no damage in his first chance to impress a wider audience. Of course, it will mean little if he doesn’t follow it up with more efforts of substance. Bowlers, too, will come better prepared for him. But if a good start is important in order to achieve higher goals, the player with roots in Kerala has secured that.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com