I was inspired by how fearless Shikhar Dhawan was on his debut: Devdutt Padikkal

Devdutt Padikkal is probably one of the best young batters in the country. In the last few years, he has been quite successful in domestic cricket and his performances have propelled him to the Indian team. The young Karnataka batter is currently in Sri Lanka with the Indian team, which is set to play a limited-overs series. 

In a recent interaction, he talked about Shikhar Dhawan, who is the stand-in skipper for this tour. Padikkal talked about the Test debut of Dhawan and shared his own memory of that innings. The Delhi batter scored 187 runs from just 174 balls against Australia in Mohali. Padikkal said that knock inspired him because of the fearlessness of Dhawan. He also said that he is looking forward to playing under Dhawan. 

To be picked to represent the country is a feeling hard to explain: Devdutt Padikkal

“This will be a really great opportunity for me to learn from someone who is similar to me. Obviously, he is also a left-handed opener and I have watched a lot of his batting as I have grown up. His Test debut against Australia is pretty unforgettable, to be honest. To see how he batted… I was really inspired by how fearless he was on his debut. Cut short, there is a lot I can learn from him and I am looking forward to playing under him,” Padikkal said on the ‘Follow The Blues’ Show on Star Sports.

Padikkal was the second-highest run-getter in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021. He scored four centuries in four consecutive matches. In the IPL 2021, he has played six matches, scoring 195 runs at an average of 39.00. His strike rate was 152 and he also scored a century. He further said that he has always wanted to play for his country. 

“Dream come true because ever since I started playing cricket at nine years old, this is the moment I have always dreamt about and always wanted to achieve. So to be picked to represent the country is a feeling which is very hard to explain. So I am really grateful for this opportunity,” he added.

Padikkal stands a good chance to make his international debut for India in the first ODI against Sri Lanka. The left-handed batter could be slotted at no. 3 with Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw likely to take up the role of openers.