Devdutt Padikkal is an Indian international cricketer known as a stylish left-handed top-order batsman who also bowls occasional right-arm off-spin.
Born on 7 July 2000 in Edappal, Kerala, to parents Babunu Kunnath and Ambili Padikkal, he spent his early years partly in Hyderabad before the family relocated to Bengaluru around 2011 to support his cricket development.
He trained at the Karnataka Institute of Cricket, studied at Army Public School and St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School in Bengaluru, and later earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from St. Joseph’s College of Commerce.
Padikkal has represented Karnataka in domestic cricket and played for teams including Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League while earning caps for the Indian national side.
Siblings
Devdutt has one sibling, an elder sister named Chandni Padikkal.
She is a professional lawyer by training, and reports have also linked her to work with Dream11.
Career
Padikkal’s professional journey began in Karnataka’s age-group teams after joining the Karnataka Institute of Cricket as a youngster.
He made his first-class debut for Karnataka in the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy on 28 November 2018.
Also Read: Ishan Kishan Siblings: Meet Raj Kishan
In the 2019–20 season, he excelled in white-ball cricket, finishing as the leading run-scorer in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with 609 runs and also topping the charts in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
He has continued to perform strongly in domestic cricket for Karnataka across formats, including multiple centuries in List A cricket and consistent contributions in the Ranji Trophy.
In the Indian Premier League, he was picked by Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of the 2019 season and made an immediate impact in 2020, scoring 473 runs in 15 matches while opening the batting.
He later played for Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants before returning to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Internationally, he made his T20I debut against Sri Lanka in July 2021. He made his Test debut against England in Dharamsala on 7 March 2024, scoring 65 in his first innings.
In 2026, he registered back-to-back Test centuries against Sri Lanka, including a score of 167.
Accolades
Among his notable achievements, Padikkal won the Emerging Player of the Tournament award in the 2020 Indian Premier League for his breakthrough season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
He became the first player in IPL history to score three fifties in his first four matches.
Domestically, he was the leading run-scorer in the 2019–20 Vijay Hazare Trophy and has earned recognition as one of Karnataka’s standout batsmen, including awards from the Karnataka State Cricket Association for his junior performances.
His Test contributions, particularly the twin centuries in 2026, further highlighted his growth in the longest format.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
