Ranji Trophy, Devdutt Padikkal slams ton versus Jharkhand: Stats
Karnataka batter Devdutt Padikkal slammed a remarkable ton versus Jharkhand in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2022-23. The southpaw scored a brilliant 114 off 175 deliveries, a knock laced with seven boundaries and five sixes. This ton was indeed crucial for Padikkal as he had been short of runs in recent times. Here we look at his stats in First-Class cricket.
An important knock from Padikkal
Batting first at the Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand could only manage 164 as the track had a lot for the spinners. Meanwhile, Padikkal arrived at number three in Karnataka's innings and looked solid from the outset. Although wickets kept tumbling at the other end, the left-handed batter fought valiantly and brought up his maiden ton of the season.
Lean patch comes to an end
After scoring a century (124*) against Maharashtra in last year's Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, Padikkal didn't touch the 35-run mark in six innings across formats. Prior to his ton versus Jharkhand, Padikkal's scores this season read 29 and 32. The 22-year-old brought his A-game out on a tricky track and played a memorable knock. He eventually fell prey to left-arm spinner Anukul Roy.
A look at his First-Class numbers
Padikkal, who made his First-Class debut in November 2018, is still pretty new in the format. He currently owns 1,365 runs in 22 games at a 35-plus average. The tally includes two centuries and 10 half-centuries, with his highest score in the format reading 178. Though these numbers aren't sensational, Padikkal is expected to enhance his game with time.
Rise to prominence
Padikkal rose to prominence while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. He scored 473, 411 and 376 in his first three seasons in the tournament. The youngster also played two T20Is in 2021, scoring 38 runs. In the 2021 Vijay Hazare Trophy, Padikkal became the first Indian batter to amass four successive List-A centuries.
How did Karnataka's innings pan out?
Skipper Mayank Agarwal (20) and Ravikumar Samarth (31) did well in the initial overs and added 46 runs for the first wicket. However, none of the two could convert their starts. While Padikkal tried to steady the ship, he didn't get much support from the middle-order batters. Besides him, wicketkeeper Sharath BR scored a handy 60 as Karnataka touched the 300-run mark.
