Devdutt Padikkal as replacement of KL Rahul in third Test

England’s tour of India, 2023–24

KL Rahul, who was sidelined during the second Test in Visakhapatnam due to a quadricep injury, will unfortunately miss the upcoming third Test against England.

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Devdutt Padikkal has been named as his replacement. Despite hopes for Rahul’s recovery in time for the Rajkot Test, he remains at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru to ensure full match fitness for the subsequent matches.

Padikkal, a promising 23-year-old left-handed batsman, earns his maiden call-up after an impressive performance in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season, boasting 556 runs in six innings at an average of 92.66.

Notably, he showcased his talent against the England Lions for India A, further solidifying his case for selection.

While uncertainty looms over Ravindra Jadeja’s availability due to a hamstring injury, Sarfaraz Khan, an uncapped batsman, is also under consideration for the Test debut, especially with the potential fitness concerns surrounding Jadeja.

The absence of Rahul compounds India’s batting challenges, as Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer are also unavailable for the remaining Tests due to personal and selection reasons, respectively.

India Team:
Rohit Sharma (c),
Jasprit Bumrah,
Yashasvi Jaiswal,
Shubman Gill,
Rajat Patidar,
Sarfaraz Khan,
Dhruv Jurel (wk),
KS Bharat (wk),
Ravichandran Ashwin,
Ravindra Jadeja,
Axar Patel,
Washington Sundar,
Kuldeep Yadav,
Mohammed Siraj,
Mukesh Kumar,
Akash Deep,
Devdutt Padikkal

Who is Devdutt Padikkal

Devdutt Padikkal (born July 7, 2000) is an Indian international cricketer who plays for Karnataka in domestic cricket and the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He made his India debut in the 2021 away T20I against Sri Lanka. He has also played for the India under-19 team.

Lost 10 kilos’: Devdutt Padikkal recalls battle with illness after dream Test call-up

“The call-up is yet to sink in. The test team is always a dream, and this has come after a tough few years. I feel very proud that all the hard work I’ve put in has paid off. I can’t thank my family and well-wishers enough for sticking by me,” Devdutt Padikkal.

“Returning from the illness was very tough. 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,” he added.

Devdutt Padikkal Age, Role

Born 7 July 2000 (Age 23) Edappal, Kerala, India
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Batting Left-handed
Bowling Right-arm off-break
Role Top-order batter

When he made his debut in International cricket
National side India (2021)
T20I debut (cap 89) 28 July 2021 vs. Sri Lanka
Last T20I 29 July 2021 v Sri Lanka
T20I shirt no. 37

Domestic Cricket Devdutt Padikkal

He made his first-class debut for Karnataka in the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy on 28 November 2018. In December 2018, he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the player auction for the 2019 Indian Premier League. He became the first player in IPL history to score three fifties in his first four matches.

He made his List A debut on 26 September 2019, for Karnataka in the 2019–20 Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was the leading run-scorer in the tournament, with 609 runs in eleven matches.

In October 2019, he was named in India A’s squad for the 2019–20 Deodhar Trophy. He made his Twenty20 debut on 8 November 2019, for Karnataka in the 2019–20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Know What BCCI says:

KL Rahul, whose availability for the remaining three Tests was subject to fitness, has been ruled out of the third Test against England in Rajkot. Mr. Rahul has reached 90 per cent of match fitness and is progressing well under the supervision of the BCCI Medical Team.

He will continue his recovery process at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to be completely match-fit for the fourth and fifth Test.

The Men’s Selection Committee named Devdutt Padikkal as KL Rahul’s replacement for the third Test, starting February 15, 2024.

India’s updated Squad for the third Test: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), KS Bharat (WK), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja*, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Devdutt Padikkal.