Dinesh Karthik, mentor and batting coach for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), believes Devdutt Padikkal’s current form could make it extremely hard for selectors to ignore him for India’s Test team if the 25-year-old sustains his momentum through the 19th season of the Indian Premier League. After a rapid start to IPL 2026, Padikkal has already put himself under the spotlight with two successive half-century knocks, and Karthik sees a clear pathway back to the No.3 role in the upcoming Sri Lanka Test assignments.
Padikkal’s IPL start and the case for India recall
- Padikkal has begun IPL 2026 strongly, registering half-centuries in his first two matches of the tournament.
- Those knocks came against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with Padikkal batting at No.3.
- His approach has looked more assertive than in recent seasons, with a noticeable rise in his strike rate.
- Before the IPL, he entered the campaign in excellent rhythm from domestic cricket during the 2025-26 stretch.
- In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he amassed 725 runs across 9 matches.
- In the Ranji Trophy, he added 543 runs in 6 games.
- Although he has been away from India’s Test setup for a while, Karthik feels Padikkal has a strong chance to return—particularly because Sai Sudharsan has not locked down the No.3 position.
- With a clear opening in the Test batting order, Padikkal is viewed as a natural fit ahead of the upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka.
Karthik’s backing comes as no surprise, given how Padikkal has translated his domestic run-scoring into the T20 arena. While T20 form should not be treated as the deciding factor for Test selection, the reality in international cricket is that selectors often take notice when a player’s timing and confidence peak—something that has happened before with other batters and is likely to occur again.
Karthik’s explanation for Padikkal’s impact
Speaking on Star Sports’ ‘Amul Cricket Live’, Karthik highlighted Padikkal’s temperament and shot-making discipline. He pointed out that on difficult pitches where runs are not readily available early, many batters fall into the trap of trying to force the issue and end up losing their wicket. In Karthik’s view, Padikkal showed the right kind of courage by staying patient during the tougher phase, and once the first boundary arrived, his batting opened up with more control. He also noted that Padikkal is playing strokes that look like “proper” cricketing shots and driving the ball with distance.
Karthik further added that if Padikkal continues to bat in this manner, it will be difficult to keep him out of India’s Test plans for long. He stressed that Padikkal’s record in domestic cricket underlines his quality, and he was equally impressed by the way the batter is stepping up as a leader in the Karnataka dressing room. Karthik remarked that even at 25, Padikkal contributes with ideas and leadership—something that stands out as part of his overall growth.
India’s Test situation and WTC pressure
India’s white-ball momentum has improved under head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, but the Test side’s performance has left plenty to be desired. At home, India are no longer operating as a dominant unit, having suffered series defeats against New Zealand and South Africa.
With the World Test Championship (WTC) still in play, India’s path to the final looks extremely narrow. To have any realistic chance of reaching the summit clash at Lord’s next year, the team would need to win at least seven of their nine matches in the current WTC cycle.
