He has reportedly now been added the India squad for BGT.
The Indian team faces multiple batting conundrums ahead of the upcoming opening Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) match. From skipper Rohit Sharma set to miss the contest due to the birth of his second child to regular No.3 batter Shubman Gill’s thumb injury, the Indian selectors face a pressing task to fill the top-order voids prior to the first Test, slated to start from November 22 in Perth.
The absence of the star batters has now forced the management to reshuffle the batting order and it has been understood that they are keen to pick a left-field option to bat at the No.3 position. Interestingly, the player was not a part of the initial India squad announced for BGT.
Devdutt Padikkal, who was picked in the India A squad for the two unofficial Tests against Australia A, has now been kept back by the Indian board while the rest of the members travelled back.
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Padikkal had a mixed outing with the bat, scoring 36 and 88 in the first game, followed by 26 and 1 in the second. Interestingly, in the recently concluded ‘A’ series in Australia, he batted at No. 4 and 5.
However, the 24-year-old was also part of the recent India team’s match simulation at the WACA and impressed the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, a Revsportz report claimed. Young talents Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sai Sudharsan too were part of the match-simulation process but the team management could pick just one between the three.
It is learnt that Padikkal’s previous Test experience worked in his favour. The 24-year-old cricketer from Karnataka debuted in Test cricket against England in March this year, contributing a crucial half-century (65) in a match where India secured victory by an innings and 64 runs.
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