Padikkal has been in great form in the ongoing Sri Lanka tour.
India batter Devdutt Padikkal continued his brilliant form by scoring a magnificent 117 off 193 balls on Day 1 of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo. This followed his career-best 167 in the first Test at Galle, marking back-to-back centuries in the series.
The southpaw grabbed his opportunity at one-drop after Sai Sudharsan was ruled out of the series with a toe injury. He earned the Player-of-the-Match in the first Test as India won the game by 195 runs.
Having crossed 300-run mark in this series, Padikkal has solidified his grip on India's crucial No. 3 Test batting spot. However, former India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara reckons that it is too early to draw a conclusion whether the tall left-hander can be a long-term No. 3 option.
According to Pujara, Padikkal will need to perform in the upcoming tour of New Zealand and the home series against Australia to secure his place in the side.
"Yes, he will be batting at No. 3 in New Zealand. But, will he be the long-term No. 3 for India? That is a long way off. You don't judge a player from a couple of Test matches. Yes, he has shown a lot of character and deserves a longer run at No. 3. India will play a couple of Test matches in New Zealand and there is a five-match Test series against Australia in India," Pujara said on Cricinfo.
"If he consistently performs at No. 3 in both the series, then he will cement his place at No. 3. Let's not put too much pressure on him," he added.
After the Sri Lanka tour, India will travel to New Zealand for a couple of Test match before hosting Australia in a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy to wrap up their 2025-27 WTC cycle.
Devdutt Padikkal overcame two early dropped catches to hit his second Test ton, anchoring India's innings alongside a 120-run partnership with captain Shubman Gill (50). Thanks to his knock, the visitors capped off Day 1 with a score of 300/5 in Colombo.
Reflecting on Padikkal’s knock, Pujara remarked: "Maybe he was a little fatigued. The moment he walked into bat, it didn't look like he's a guy in form. He was struggling a bit early on, but after a couple of chances and batting for 40-50 deliveries, he found his rhythm. After that, the way he batted, it was just brilliant."