India U19 star Devdutt Padikkal names his favorite batsman

Left-handed batsman Devdutt Padikkal had a stupendous campaign in the recently concluded U19 Asia Cup in Bangladesh. India were the eventual champions beating Sri Lanka in the final at Sher-E-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur. The left-hander notched 183 runs in four matches at an average of 45.75 with a top score of 121 against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Savar.

The 18-year-old praised former Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid for his priceless advice and also said that the retired cricketer knew him prior to their meeting. Recently, the Kerala-born cricketer mentioned that Delhi cricketer Gautam Gambhir is his favourite batsman, albeit he told that he doesn’t have an idol in particular.

“I did not idolise anyone in particular but I like watching Gautam Gambhir. He is my favourite batsman. I have always liked watching him bat. I have not got a chance to meet him so far, hopefully, I will get an opportunity soon,” Padikkal was quoted as saying in MyNation.

Gambhir doing well in Vijay Hazare Trophy

Gambhir didn’t have the best of starts in the current year. He was picked to captain the Delhi Daredevils (DD) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, he resigned from his role and subsequently was sidelined from the team as Shreyas Iyer was appointed as the skipper of the franchise.

However, he has had a decent time in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. He is captaining the Delhi team, who has topped Elite Group B courtesy of six wins from eight matches after garnering 26 points. Moreover, they also have qualified for the quarterfinals of the 50-overs event.

Even from a personal viewpoint, Gambhir has flourished in the domestic tournament. The seasoned campaigner is their leading run scorer with 386 runs from eight matches at an incredible average of 55.14. His top score of 151 retired out came against Kerala in Delhi.

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