Devdutt Padikkal earns high praise from legends

Where talent meets opportunity – it’s the motto that IPL stands for. Every year, it throws numerous talents, this year one such has come from Bangalore and has taken the tournament by storm. Devdutt Padikkal has looked like he belongs there and has displayed the kind of maturity that is rarely seen in 20-year-olds.

Former India fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad thinks that the future is bright for the young Karnataka sensation.

“This is just the first step I would say because the true test of a player is in playing the big matches, in a pressure-filled environment. He has really handled the pressure in IPL well. It is watched world-wide, its fan base and product is huge and he’s caught everyone’s eye,” Prasad told Hindustan Times.

“There’s a long career ahead. One thing is for sure that if he focuses on the process, he works on his fitness, he will go a long way. And being a left-hander, it’s going to be a huge advantage. He needs to keep his heads on his shoulder and not get carried away. If he’s disciplined, I’m sure there are greater things awaiting him, more than what he’s already done.”

Not very long ago, former India skipper and now a commentator, Sunil Gavaskar had shared an interesting anecdote involving the legendary Gundappa Viswanath. When asked about Devdutt Padikkal, Viswanath had just nodded.  Apparently, the nod from Viswanath means that the player is destined for greatness. He had done the same for Rahul Dravid, KL Rahul, and now even the youngster has managed to earn that.

“I completely agree with what Sunny said, because I come from the same state as Gundappa Vishwanath, and when I made my debut for India, Vishwanath was the chairman,” Prasad said. “I know what it is when Sunny had to say that when Gundappa nods, it definitely means Devdutt Padikkal has destined for the simple reason that first these are two legends. Second, GR Vishwanath has great skills in observation and identifying talent. I can vouch for it. It’s a great compliment I would say and it’s up to Padikkal now. He has shown those glimpses that he’s got the skills and he can take on any bowler.”

Padikkal is only the second uncapped player to have scored more than 400 runs in the tournament and his exploits at the top has been one of the primary reasons for RCB’s run in the tournament. But it’s not just his batting that has turned heads; the tall lanky man that he is, Padikkal has used his frame to good effect to cover grounds and take some magnificent catches in the field.

 “We’ve also seen some splendid catches taken by him – in the slips and then one diving catch he took so that shows that he can field in any position. So that cuts a great deal for me. He has the attitude, fitness. People have taken note of him,” Prasad added.

Venkatesh Prasad also drew comparisons between Padikkal and former India batter Yuvraj Singh.

“The first thing that struck me about him was that he was a left-handed batsman, which is a rare thing in India. It’s been there for a long time, but we’ve not seen very good left-hand batsmen. Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh were two of them, but otherwise, we haven’t seen too many great left-handed batsmen. With Padikkal being a left-hander, people will show keenness. Secondly, I was highly impressed with his fielding. Like I said, fielding is all about fitness and the moment,” Prasad opined further.

[With HT Inputs]