Leg and Off: Should India consider Devdutt Padikkal for Champions Trophy 2025?

Devdutt Padikkal's stellar form in the domestic circuit has grabbed the eyeballs of one and all. His consistent performances have sparked the debate of whether India should consider the batter for their Champions Trophy 2025 squad.

The left-hander has played just two games in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 after returning from the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series. However, he has made the most of both the innings so far, scoring 188 runs at an average of 94. In his first game this season, he scored a century, smashing 102 runs against Baroda in the quarter-final.

Next up, he scored a crucial 113-ball 86 in the semi-final against Haryana, helping Karnataka reach the final of the tournament. His impact in just two games has been incredible for Karnataka.

Devdutt Padikkal also crossed 2000 runs in List A cricket. He has 2063 runs from just 31 innings at an impressive average of 82.52 with nine hundreds and 12 fifties so far. Out of these 2063 runs, 2000 of them have come just from the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

His scores in his last seven innings (across two different seasons) are - 86, 102, 114, 93*, 70, 117 and 71*, which highlight the consistency with which he has been piling on the runs. The left-hander averages over 100 with 2000 runs in just 27 innings overall in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

His brilliant performances could mean that an India call-up may not be too far away for Devdutt Padikkal. However, it remains to be seen whether the Karnataka batter will have to wait or will get his opportunity soon enough.

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Should India consider Devdutt Padikkal for Champions Trophy 2025?

Going by his performances in the one-day format, Devdutt Padikkal could be a great choice for India's squad for the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy. He has played two Tests and as many T20Is for India but is yet to make his debut in the one-day format.

He is sure enough knocking on the door but will he be considered for the Champions Trophy squad?

It is slightly more complicated than it appears to be when it comes to Padikkal being selected for the Champions Trophy. While a left-hander at the top is always fancied, India may not disrupt the opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.

The duo opened for the Men in Blue during the 2023 ODI World Cup and are likely to be the first-choice openers for the Champions Trophy as well. Can Padikkal still make the squad as a back-up opener then?

It has to be kept in mind that a certain Yashasvi Jaiswal is also in contention to make the Champions Trophy squad. While Padikkal has better List A numbers than Jaiswal, the Mumbai batter may have a better case given his recent performances and exposure in international cricket.

As there are enough specialist batters already in contention, the cut-throat competition might just mean that Devdutt Padikkal will have to wait despite his incredible numbers.

Should Padikkal be called up for the home ODI series against England ahead of the ICC event, it could be some sort of an indicator. However, if he is a part of the squad for the England ODIs, it could very well mean that the team may not be considering him for the Champions Trophy irrespective of his recent performances.