It’s important that I keep my foot on the pedal and not take it off: Padikkal

Devdutt Padikkal excels in white-ball cricket, showcasing adaptability and consistency, aiming to make a mark in Test cricket.

Days after returning from the Test tour to Australia, Devdutt Padikkal seamlessly switched into white-ball mode and smashed a match-winning century for Karnataka against Baroda in the quarterfinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

He followed it up with another crucial 86 against defending champion Haryana to guide his side home to the summit clash. It was his seventh consecutive 50-plus score in List-A cricket, a format Padikkal revels in. He averages a staggering 82.52, which is the best in the world among players with more than 2000 runs.

“I enjoy batting in one-dayers because you have a situation where you have to adapt throughout the innings,” Padikkal told The Hindu recently. “You play the first 10 overs in the PowerPlay, then move out of it, and then again you have a different scenario in the end. 

“I enjoy adapting and changing my game as and when required. So that’s why, I guess, this is one of the best formats for me.”

For Padikkal, the current run is a continuation of a purple patch that started over a year ago, which helped the 24-year-old become India’s 314th Test cricketer when he debuted against England in Dharamshala in March 2024. 

Though he played only one more Test, the first game against Australia in Perth in the just-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Padikkal is enjoying this phase of his career.

“I am very motivated and looking forward to whatever is left of this season,” Padikkal said about being in a happy space. “Being part of the Test squad drives you even further to push those limits, and that’s all I’m going to be looking to do this season as well. It’s important that I keep my foot on the pedal and not take it off.”