Devdutt Padikkal's SOS - a vexing conundrum of the highest order

The earnest of earnest looks crossed Devdutt Padikkal's face as he pleaded his case for a review to his skipper KL Rahul after being trapped LBW by Khaleel Ahmed. Rahul has often been on the non-strike end when Padikkal has been dismissed this season, and been on the receiving end of such glances across 22 yards.

Padikkal was desperate for a lifeline although he knew his fate very well. Having yet to reach double figures in the season, he hoped for some sort of miracle - the pitch playing some tricks, the DRS malfunctioning, but it was not to be.

Although his skipper has backed him to no end this season, it was the final straw as Padikkal's unsaid cry for help was met with a stoic shrug with a hint of helplessness.

Twenty-five runs off 33 deliveries is what the once-prodigal batter has accumulated so far. Every batter does go through a phase where he cannot score a run to save his life, but can Padikkal afford to have a third straight bleak IPL season in this competitive age?

Tentativeness and a visible lack of confidence to accompany that, have been the southpaw's allies this season so far. They were on show in his short stint at the crease. Right before his dismissal, he was greeted by a bouncer that was called a wide and a back-of-the-length delivery, and Padikkal did not look at ease against both.

For Khaleel, the job was done as he had backed Padikkal firmly into the backfoot. The left-arm pacer bowled the next ball a little further up from the previous delivery, and got a little aid from the pitch, and these days only that bare minimum is required to dismiss Padikkal.

A man on the edge of the plank now, Padikkal has no legs left to rest his case. Five successive innings without double figures is enough evidence against players to be left out of a contract, let alone a playing XI.

The drastic drop in form, without any signs whatsoever makes the whole case only more intriguing. However, if you delve deep enough, you may not be blamed for thinking that, barring the odd knock here and there, is Padikkal a genuine IPL starting XI material like some of his compatriots.

The uncomfortable question surrounding his quality presents itself because of the distinct difference in numbers in domestic T20 cricket and the IPL. The standards between the two competitions are as clear as daylight, and many players have been exposed as well through it.

In a way, IPL often acts as a filter to weed out the ones unfit for the highest level, but no one would have thought a few years ago that Padikkal would be the residue trapped at the bottom.

Padikkal has often looked rushed for pace and has been trapped on the backfoot due to it. An underlying tone of a potential weakness against left-arm seam bowling also worsens the case. He has now lost his wicket to such bowlers thrice already this season namely by Trent Boult, Sam Curran, and Khaleel Ahmed.

He was perhaps a tad unlucky in the season opener as Boult's delivery kept a tad low, but the rest of the dismissals do not bring him in good light. Padikkal has largely failed to deal with hard lengths by pacers, which is understandable on fast and bouncy surfaces. But on subcontinent pitches, one should be able to handle these at least for survival, if not with ease.

He was troubled by Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj, both fine exponents of the back-of-the-length deliveries. Padikkal has often been late to deal with such deliveries, and not getting his timing right in terms of his footwork and bat swing has brought both edges into play as well.

However, his credentials against spin bowling also do not help his case. In the 2023 season, where he primarily played in the middle order and was up against spinners, he scored only 82 runs off 73 deliveries while losing his wicket five times out of 11 matches. This season, unfortunately, he has not survived long enough to play spin bowling consistently.

A combination of poor impact and an archaic playing style makes Padikkal highly doubtful for the modern-day T20 approach, in the long run. While there is a small case regarding Padikkal's batting position which has been brought up many times in the past, unfortunately for him, it is not much of a compelling argument.

It is not like Rahul and de Kock have been piling on runs every match, leaving Padikkal no time to settle in and match the same tempo straightaway.

He has walked out to bat in the first over itself in two of the matches so far, acting somewhat as a makeshift opener, but has still failed to leave an impression. Several T20 opening batters are playing without a hitch at No. 3 like Ajinkya Rahane for instance.

At a time when one cannot take a place in the playing XI for granted, a little bit of deviation in the batting order cannot be an excuse by any means.

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Devdutt Padikkal, a flat-track bully - Myth or fact?

Padikkal was among the runs in the IPL from 2020 to 2022, and his form dipped in 2023 when the home-and-away format was reintroduced. Now, is that just a coincidence, or Padikkal's inability to adapt to different surfaces against quality bowling attacks?

A batter's total IPL run tally for the season is hugely determined based on how he fares in home conditions, as he plays the majority of the matches there. Padikkal's home venues in the IPL have been the Sawai Mansingh Stadium and the Ekana Stadium, both not the greatest venues for batters when compared to some of the other grounds, and the huge boundary dimensions there can come across as quite intimidating as well.

The majority of Padikkal's memorable IPL knocks have come on flat surfaces, including his sole hundred against RR at the Wankhede Stadium. He has not stood out on a tough surface in the IPL, and with the tendency to make a ball better than it looks, he is the ideal specimen for a bowler.

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What lies in store for Padikkal next?

LSG will not be considering changing their opening combination of KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock, and with batters waiting on the sideline for the No. 3 position, it seems like the thin ice that Padikkal was standing on has cracked and melted.

Having seemingly reached the end of the lengthy rope built by the franchise's faith, a change in role as backup opener could be on the cards. That is unless the coach, captain, and management think otherwise.

Rahul has watched Padikkal from close quarters while playing for Karnataka. It is also to be noted that the left-handed batter was not a random buy at the auction table to make up the numbers in the squad. Instead, he was specifically roped in by LSG in a trade with RR that involved Avesh Khan as well.

Both Rahul and Langer have spoken highly of the player, much like every skipper and coach does, but the real question is how long will LSG bear the no-show?

As things stand, Padikkal is caught between a rock and a hard place. He might only need a good knock or even a good stroke to turn it around, but another failure is also very well on the cards that will severely hamper his reputation.

The losing credibility will in turn lead to lesser demand for him at the next season's mega auction if he is not retained by LSG. A sharp decline in a paycheck is on the horizon, as well as the number of opportunities in the starting XI.

The alarm bells are blaring, and all codes have been called, but the fact of the matter is only he can save himself from this grave predicament.