Find of the year: Devdutt Padikkal

2018 - The senior Indian selector Jatin Paranjpe despite having a sore back travelled all the way to Mysore just to catch a glimpse of the youngster, who was playing his maiden Ranji fixture. At the end of the fourth day, Paranjpe was a happy man as Devdutt Padikkal gave a good account of his batting credentials, scoring a half-century against Maharashtra in the 2nd innings. If this was just a glimpse of his batting mastery, the southpaw delivered an assemblage of such knocks in the recently-concluded IPL. 

IPL has allowed several youngsters to rub shoulders with the well-established cricketers. The experience they derive by playing alongside a few stalwarts is invaluable. Several youngsters made their presence felt in Dream11 IPL, none more than Devdutt Padikkal. What set him apart from the rest was his mindset and an unquenchable appetite for runs. Another striking feature of the Karnataka batsman has been his ability to adapt, from someone who plays a perfect foil, to one who can take on any bowling attack with his wide range of shots. 

Elegant cover drives, wristy flicks, sizzling square cuts and slog sweeps - The 20-year-old displayed every shot from his repository, leaving several pundits awestruck. He dictated terms with immense aplomb, outscoring even the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Since 2014, no other player (except Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers) has topped the run-chart for RCB. The stat is just another evidence that the franchise has unearthed another batting sensation. 

After a headline performance in Dream11 IPL 2020, Devdutt, however, believes that it's important not to get bogged down by success. The words which you seldom hear from a young bloke. “There’s a long way to go for me and there’s so much I have to improve upon. It’s just the beginning." - he was quoted as saying India Today in an exclusive  Interview. 

The RCB head coach Simon Katich, who observed him from close quarters, said that he was wise beyond his years. "He’s mature beyond his years at the moment and it’s great to see that,” - Katich added.

The 20-year-old broke many records on his way to glory in Dream11 IPL 2020. 

• Devdutt is the only player to score three half-centuries in the first four fixtures of IPL. 
• He became the first batsman in 10 years to score a half-century on IPL debut. 
• 473 - The southpaw holds the record for the most number of runs scored by an uncapped player in the debut season.