147, 124, 22 and 113 – these are Devdutt Padikkal’s scores in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Devdutt Padikkal does not knock on the door; he tries to force his way through. The left-handed batter from Karnataka has been a force to reckon with ever since he made his List A debut in 2019. His numbers are such that you will have to rub your eyes twice to believe them.
The crazy consistency of Devdutt Padikkal’s A List
Before the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) season, Padikkal averaged 79.50 in the format. Yes, you read that correctly. After just four matches of the tournament, this average has increased. The consistency is simply out of this world.
Virat Kohli, who is often considered the best 50-over hitter, has an average of 73.35 after 15 matches in the VHT. These numbers are unreal. And then there is Padikkal, who averages 82.56 per dismissal. Beating Kohli is an achievement in itself. And we’re not talking about just one season. But 6 years. He recorded 24 scores of fifty or more in 32 innings.
In the ongoing VHT season, Padikkal has taken this consistency to another level. He struck four times and stepped up three times. One of those hundreds took part in the second highest run chase in List A history, with 413 runs. That too against Jharkhand, who are the reigning Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy champions.
Devdutt Padikkal’s A-list record
| Sleeves | Works | Average | hundreds | 50s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VHT 2025-26 | 4 | 406 | 101.50 | 3 | 0 |
| VHT | 32 | 2417 | 92.96 | 12 | 12 |
| List A | 36 | 2477 | 82.56 | 12 | 12 |
Padikkal would have been part of the Indian team some time ago if not for the competition. Rohit Sharma, Kohli, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer did not give anyone a chance to enter the top four. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad are already waiting. Both scored centuries in India’s last ODI series against South Africa.
The setback of Shreyas Iyer’s rehabilitation: an opportunity for Padikkal
But Padikkal has a chance of getting his first ODI call-up. An incredible race like this cannot be ignored. If they want to, the selectors cannot try to look away from what Padikkal has done. Fortunately for him, there is an opening. Shreyas has been injured for the last 2 months and is not sure to feature in the India vs New Zealand ODI series.
India’s ODI vice-captain was on course to make a comeback. He was supposed to feature for Mumbai in VHT but was not cleared by the medical staff at the Center of Excellence. Shreyas is expected to be cleared on January 9, just two days before the start of the series against the Kiwis.
But there is a possibility that Shreyas may not be fit to take part in this three-match affair. There is no point in rushing him and causing him even more harm. This is where Padikkal can take a look. He might not even play a single match with Gaikwad top in the pecking order, but he will be closer to making his ODI debut than before.
India’s likely ODI squad for New Zealand
Shubman Gill (c), Shreyas Iyer*Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (week), Rishabh Pant (week), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana
* = If he is unfit, Devdutt Padikkal comes into play
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