Devdutt Padikkal charges towards India spot as Karnataka inch closer to Ranji final
India Today
Devdutt Padikkal scored a career-best 232 to help Karnataka to a mammoth total in the Ranji Trophy semi-finals. Should Indian selectors consider him for the No.3 Test spot?
Captain Devdutt Padikkal dominated Uttarakhand in the Ranji Trophy as Karnataka firmed their grip on a spot in the final on Tuesday, February 17. Batting at No. 3, Padikkal sent a strong message to the selectors, scoring a career-best 232 as Karnataka piled up a massive total of 736 at the Ekana Stadium.
Padikkal's marathon 330-ball innings featured 29 boundaries and three sixes. Alongside him, Smaran Ravichandran scored 135 off 216 balls, helping Karnataka reach a mammoth total that Uttarakhand are unlikely to surpass.
The Karnataka captain has been one of the most reliable performers this Ranji season. In the 2025–26 Ranji Trophy so far, he has played five matches and scored 532 runs at an average of 66.50. It is not only in the Ranji Trophy that he has delivered — Padikkal has been consistent across formats this season. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he amassed 725 runs in nine matches, finishing as the second-highest run-getter in the recently concluded edition.
Karnataka, who had closed Day 2 at a commanding 689 for six after batting for two full days, opted not to declare on Day 3, with overnight batters Ravichandran Smaran and Vidyadhar Patil continuing their innings. The team eventually folded for 736, having batted a massive 195 overs.
The move appeared designed not only to further demoralise the opposition but also to eliminate any chance of losing the contest, maintaining complete control of the game.
Smaran (121 not out overnight) and Patil (35 not out overnight) added 28 runs before the former was dismissed for 135. Patil went on to reach a half-century, finishing with 54 off 114 balls. Most of his runs came through singles and twos, with two boundaries and a six to his name.
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