Devdutt Padikkal returns to basics as he works his way back to the top

Last year, Devdutt Padikkal was seen as the next big batting hope of Indian cricket.

The tall Karnataka batsmen is a rarity in Indian cricket - a left-handed opener with a free-flowing style and shots all around the wicket.

A superb Indian Premier League season with his then franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he scored more than 400 runs in 2021 and also hit a century, put him in front of the queue of young Indian batsmen.

Given that Shikhar Dhawan is the only specialist left-handed white-ball opener in India, it seemed international cricket was going to be the next step.

However, 2022 did not pan out the way Padikkal hoped for. Firstly, he was no longer at Bangalore; Rajasthan Royals was his new home in the IPL. And even though his franchise dazzled the way to the final, where they lost to Gujarat Titans, it was an underwhelming campaign for Padikkal.

Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya lifts the IPL trophy after the win over Rajasthan Royals in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 29, 2022. Sportzpics / IPL

He could not breach the 400-run mark while his teammate Jos Buttler scored almost 900. Plus, he was pushed down to the middle order, which automatically restricted the amount of time at the crease. And just like that, Padikkal drifted away from the cricket conversation as other young batsmen like Deepak Hooda and Suryakumar Yadav grabbed their opportunities with the national team.

This is the T20 World Cup year. While many players are looking to impress selectors one last time before the squad and back-up list of players for the tournament in Australia is announced, Padikkal is focusing on regaining his touch in domestic cricket.

Currently participating in the Maharaja KSCA