Devdutt Padikkal

Spotted at a very young age and known for his flamboyant batting, Devdutt Padikkal's name quietly started to make rounds in Indian domestic cricket. The left-handed batsman who is also a handy off-spinner was born in Edapal, Kerala.

His 53-ball 72 knock for his team Ballari Tuskers in the Karnataka Premier League in 2017 dropped the spotlight on him and he made a few handy contributions playing for Karnataka at the U-19 level. In the 2018-19 season of the Ranji Trophy, Paddikkal made his debut for Karnataka and struck a couple of half-centuries in his first few appearances to showcase his talent.

Seeing his raw talent and potential, Bengaluru wasted no time in buying him during the auction for the 2019 edition of the Indian T20 League but he didn't get a place in the XI. Representing Karnataka in the 2019–20 Vijay Hazare Trophy, Devdutt Padikkal finished with 609 runs and was the leading run-scorer.

The 13th edition of the Indian T20 League turned out to be the breakthrough season for him as he amassed 400+ runs and finished as the leading run-scorer for Bengaluru. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021, Devdutt was the second-highest run-getter and also became the first Indian batsman to record four consecutive centuries in List-A cricket. Seeing his progress, Devdutt Padikkal is touted to be a future India prospect.

On April 22, 2021, in the 2021 Indian T20 League, Padikkal achieved another milestone by scoring his maiden hundred, an unbeaten 101, guiding Bengaluru to a ten-wicket victory against Rajasthan. In the February 2022 auction, he joined the Rajasthan team for the 2022 Indian T20 League. Amidst his T20 league exploits, he earned recognition in the international arena, making his T20I debut for India against Sri Lanka on July 28, 2021. Devdutt Padikkal's promising career continues to unfold, marked by consistent performances and a bright future in Indian cricket.

In November 2023, Padikkal's journey took a new turn as he was traded to Lucknow ahead of the 2024 season. The start of 2024 was a fruitful one for him as solid performances in the domestic circuit led to a call-up for the Test series against England and eventually, he made his debut in the fifth and final Test in Dharamshala and even scored a maiden half-century in the first innings.