Dinesh Karthik Backs Devdutt Padikkal’s T20I Aspirations
The mentor of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Dinesh Karthik, has come out in strong support of young left-handed batter Devdutt Padikkal. Karthik believes Padikkal’s outstanding performance makes him a contender for the Indian T20I team. He praised Padikkal’s ability to stay calm under pressure and deliver consistently, suggesting that selectors will find it hard to ignore him, especially with the team’s current talent pool.
Padikkal has made a strong start to the IPL 2026 season, scoring two fifties in consecutive matches. In a recent game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), he turned things around after a slow beginning, reaching a half-century in just 29 balls, helping RCB set a record total of 250 runs, their highest ever against the five-time champions. Earlier, he showcased his aggressive batting style against Sunrisers Hyderabad with a quick 61 runs off just 21 balls, hitting four sixes.
“He is not going unnoticed,” Karthik shared with JioHotstar after RCB’s 43-run victory over CSK. “His determination stands out. On a tricky pitch, it’s easy for a player to take unnecessary risks when things aren’t going well. But Padikkal showed real courage, especially after his earlier innings. Once he found his first boundary, he really changed the game.”
Karthik added that Padikkal’s style is hard to overlook, saying, “He is making proper cricketing shots and hitting the ball cleanly. He has shown he can perform at a high level.” When asked about Padikkal’s role in the national squad, Karthik labeled it a “good headache” for selectors, emphasizing that Padikkal will definitely be considered as teams are formed after IPL 2026.
Beyond batting, Karthik noted that Padikkal is also emerging as a strong leader. At just 25, he has already demonstrated leadership qualities, notably as the captain of the Karnataka team during the last domestic season. Karthik remarked, “He is proving himself to be an essential part of the team, sharing his insights and stepping up as a leader in the dressing room.”
A Challenging Journey
At only 25 years old, Padikkal has faced both impressive successes and tough challenges. His promising performance in IPL 2025, where he scored 247 runs in 10 matches, was sidelined due to injuries. He battled a serious chronic intestinal issue and a stubborn stomach infection between 2021 and 2023, which affected his health significantly. At his lowest point, compounded by Covid-19, he lost around 10 kilograms and often struggled to perform.
Despite these challenges and a dip in performance, Padikkal made a remarkable comeback by late 2023, even making his Test debut in 2024 thanks to a rigorous recovery plan that included a stricter diet and tailored fitness training.
In the last two years, Padikkal has excelled in domestic 50-over cricket. During the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he scored 725 runs in 10 matches at an impressive average of 90. He followed this up with a strong performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he accumulated 309 runs in six matches, averaging over 60 with a strike rate nearing 180.
Padikkal’s performance in the Ranji Trophy has also been solid, scoring 543 runs in just six matches at an average of 61, which could bring him back into contention for the Test squad. However, a strong showing in the ongoing IPL season is crucial for boosting his chances for selection in India’s T20I team.
