Devdutt Padikkal scored a pleasing 65 in his maiden Test innings today against England (March 8) after becoming India’s fifth debutant in the series, but his journey to cap No.314 was replete with several obstacles and ill health.
In India, every other player has their own story of toil and how they overcame innumerable odds to reach the pinnacle. With an abundance of talent in the country, players not only need to wade through financial constraints, but also the excess scrutiny and insecurities in order to make a name for themselves. It’s something that every Indian youngster has to deal with, and Padikkal’s mental strength came to the fore when he was grappling with an extended bout of illness which kept him away from the game for an extended period.
Having made his domestic debut in 2018, Padikkal had a breakout season in 2019-20, making 649 first-class runs at an average of 40.56. He also scored 650 List A runs, averaging nearly 60, and made 580 T20 runs in only 12 innings before the lockdown.
The youngster was diagnosed with Covid-19 just ahead of the 2021 Indian Premier League, which saw him undergo a 10-day isolation. Padikkal, who top-scored for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2020, scoring 473 runs at a strike rate of 124.80, did not let the disease affect his performances that year as he made 411 runs in 14 games with a top score of 101*.
Soon after, Padikkal made his T20I debut on a tour of Sri Lanka, scoring 29 and nine in the two games he played. Just as his career was going in an upward spiral, he was affected by a stomach issue that kept him on the sidelines for the next few months. Padikkal would fall ill frequently and lost 10 kilos during the 2022-23 season. He played only ten domestic games that season, and did not take part in any List A game. “Those two years (2021 to early 2023), he was struggling to stay fit and healthy. He suffered from loss of weight too. It was a constant stomach bug that was troubling him.” Irfan Sait, Padikkal’s childhood coach told the PTI.
The player recounted his recovery path in the post-match press conference in Dharamshala, and admitted it was a big challenge. “Returning from the illness was very tough,” said Padikkal. “The biggest challenge was to get physically fit. I had lost 10 kilos and I had to eat right and concentrate on regaining muscle and strength.
“During sickness, I couldn’t do much but I still wanted to make sure I am not lagging behind in other areas and I continued to work on myself whether mentally or any other small thing.”
Padikkal says that his love for the game became stronger after he returned to full fitness and that he started enjoying the game a lot more. “Technically I made a couple of small changes but mentally yes, I made the changes. I wanted to ensure that I enjoy the game a lot more because the last couple of years I couldn’t play that often and missing on games made me realise how much I missed the sport.”
Padikkal also worked on his fitness and focused on his diet as he aimed for a strong comeback. “He worked really hard on his fitness and diet ahead of the 2023 season because he wanted to get back to the place where he was in 2020-21,” Sait said.
There was another curveball in store for him. During the Deodhar Trophy, Padikkal fractured his left thumb, which required surgery. It ruled him out for a couple of months but he returned stronger once again.
The left-hander staged a fine comeback across formats, scored 119 runs in five T20s in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and improved his performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he top-scored for Karnataka with 465 runs at an average of 155. In the first three games in the Ranji Trophy this year, Padikkal made 193, 42, 31 and 103, which helped him get a place in the India A team against the England Lions. In two games against the Lions, Padikkal registered a ton and a fifty.
In the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu Ranji Trophy clash, Padikkal made 151 in the first innings when no other batter from his team could make over 57. The match ended in a draw but it was enough for a maiden Test call-up and going by what we witnessed in Dharamsala, it looks it could be the start of a long career ahead.
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