Devdutt Padikkal proud of his domestic exploits
Karnataka displayed their dominance as a premium team in the domestic circuit, having won both the Vijay Hazare and the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournaments. In the process, they unearthed a real gem in Devdutt Padikkal. The Kerala-born southpaw who plies his trade for Karnataka returned with an impressive haul of 609 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and 580 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which saw him become the highest-run getter in both the tournaments.
"I would pat my back for finishing as the highest run-getter in both the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali tournaments. Also, being the top scorer for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy meant a lot because, at the beginning of the season, no one looked at me as the main player or the man to look to when the team is in a difficult situation. I felt that change this season.”, said Padikkal "I've stood up on most occasions when the team wanted, and that's something I'm proud of.”
Padikkal, despite being the highest run-getter in both the limited over tournaments, was not satisfied with his returns in the longer format. "I could've done much better in Ranji Trophy. There were a lot of starts that I couldn't convert. There's always highs and lows in cricket. I've started to deal with that better now because I have runs to back me. I'm able to handle the two-three innings in which I'm not getting runs.”
Padikkal, who has also represented India at the Under-19 level, did not have a rosy start to his domestic career as he stuttered in his debut season in 2018/19. "Last season, I was dropped after the five games in which I got a few 50s. I knew that I didn't live up to expectations. The 50s weren't enough. I had to convert them or play knocks that defined the match and helped the team. So, I felt that's something I wanted to improve on this year. I wanted to guide the team to wins and be the main man and that's what I did. It was satisfying. I was able to convert my thoughts and hopefully I can continue that journey.” Devdutt’s ability to pick himself up and become one of the first names on the Karnataka team sheet is a promising sign.
The Karnataka star, who was part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad in IPL 2019 will have a huge role to play in the team’s fortunes in the 2020 edition. The left-handed batsman could present RCB with an option to open the innings, or even play in the middle order if need be. In a tournament like the IPL, where talented Indian players come at a premium, Royal Challengers Bangalore have managed to snare a rare local talent.
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