Karnataka batter Devdutt Padikkal is on cloud nine after having received his maiden Test call-up. On Monday (February 13), the southpaw was added to the India squad for the third Test against England as a replacement for KL Rahul, who failed to recover in time from a quadriceps injury.
Padikkal was rewarded for his consistent performances in first-class cricket for Karnataka and India ‘A’ in recent months.
The left-hander has been in fine form in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season, registering scores of 193, 42, 31, 103, 151 and 36. Playing for India ‘A’, he also slammed a century (105) against the England Lions in a four-day match in Ahmedabad last month.
Speaking after earning his maiden Test call-up, Padikkal said he is proud of the effort that he put in after battling a stomach issue last season.
The 23-year-old revealed that he kept falling ill frequently and lost 10 kilos during his battle with the illness.
"The call-up is yet to sink in. The Test team is always a dream, and this has come after a tough few years. I feel very proud that all the hard work I've put in has paid off. Can't thank my family and well-wishers enough for sticking by me," Padikkal told The Times of India.
"Returning from the illness was very tough. The biggest challenge was to get physically fit. I had lost 10 kilos and I had to eat right and concentrate on regaining muscle and strength," he added.
Devdutt Padikkal made his T20I debut in July 2021 and played two matches for India against Sri Lanka. He managed to score 38 runs in those two T20Is and fell off the radar due to inconsistent performances.
Padikkal’s IPL performances were also impacted by his bad health. He failed to make a mark as a middle-order batter while playing for the Rajasthan Royals in 2022 and 2023.
Padikkal's struggle with illness was reflected in his Ranji Trophy performances as well. He managed to score only 260 runs across seven innings in the 2022-23 season. This was a stark contrast to his previous seasons, where he had given a glimpse of his exceptional potential.
It remains to be seen whether Devdutt Padikkal gets a chance in the third Test against England, slated to get underway on February 15 in Rajkot.
