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Devdutt Padikkal, the classy young left-hander who plays for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, turned 23 on Friday. Paddikal has been one of the most exciting young Indian batters in the domestic circuit in recent years.
Having made his IPL debut in 2020, he enjoyed a couple of superb seasons with the Royal Challengers Bangalore before moving to the Rajasthan Royals. He has played 57 games in the cash-rich tournament, scoring 1,521 runs with the help of nine fifties and a century.
Paddikal has also played at the highest level, having represented India in a couple of T20Is, while contributing a total of 38 runs.
As he turns 23, we look at three of his most prolific knocks in the IPL:
#1 101* vs RR, IPL 2021
In a game between the Rajasthan Royals and the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Wankhade Stadium in IPL 2021, RCB required 178 to chase in their designated 20 overs.
Devdutt Paddikal, opening the batting for RCB alongside the great Virat Kohli, scored a magnificent century to help his side get to their target without breaking a sweat. He scored 101* off just 52 deliveries at a strike rate of 194.23. His knock included 11 boundaries and six sixes.
He shared a mammoth unbeaten stand worth 181 runs with Kohli (72*), as the duo chased the total down in less than 17 overs.
#2 63 vs RR, IPL 2020
In his debut IPL season in 2020, Devdutt Paddikal scored a crucial half-century against the Rajasthan Royals in another run chase. RCB, chasing a total of 155, lost an early wicket post which Padikkal, along with Kohli stabilized the innings.
The duo shared a 99-run partnership to put RCB in the driver's seat. Paddikal ended up scoring 63 off 45 deliveries at a very healthy strike rate of 140. His innings, together with Kohli's 72* took RCB across the line with five balls to spare. This knock was one of the earliest signs of DDP's potential at the highest level.
#3 51 vs Punjab Kings, IPL 2023
In an IPL 2023 game between the Rajasthan Royals and the Punjab Kings IPL, Devdutt Padikkal scored a quickfire half-century to help his side ace a tough chase of 188 runs. The Royals lost the huge wicket of Jos Buttler early on, which brought Paddikal to the crease.
He went on to share an 85-run stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal for the second wicket. His valiant knock of 51 off 30, included five boundaries and three maximums. The Royals got home with two balls to spare and Padikkal was declared the player of the match. It was a timely knock for the southpaw, who was enduring a poor season up to that point.
