If one had to blindly pick just two batters who deserve a chance in the Indian white-ball team, and could serve for a long-long time, it has to be Devdutt Padikkal and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The duo have been consistent performers in the domestic circuit, especially in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and the record is a notch above spectacular.
3 Tons in 4 Matches for Devdutt Padikkal
On Wednesday, in the fourth round of the VHT 2025-26, while Karnataka’s Padikkal scored his third ton in 4th match, Gaikwad carried forward his form from the South Africa series, where he scored a ton in Raipur ODI, and scored a century vs Uttarakhand. Let us talk about the southpaw batter in detail first.
He scored 147 in the first encounter vs Jharkhand, courtesy of which the team managed to chase down the second highest total in List A cricket. Then he followed it up with a 124-run knock vs Kerala. A rare failure of 22 came vs Tamil Nadu, but against a weaker Pondicherry, he was again back to his devastating best. He scored 113 from 116 deliveries before getting out to J Yadav.
Ruturaj Gaikwad Not Far Behind
What is even more exceptional, is that fact that now in 37 List A matches, he averages close to 85 with 12 tons and 12 fifties to his name. Now, as for Gaikwad, he has been coming up with consistent performances for a little longer. In 96 matches now, he has 19 tons and 18 fifties, with an average closing in on 60.
Instead of labeling them as the future stars, they should rather be seen as the current stars, who are more-than-ready to be given a longer run, especially in the ODIs. But on the flipside, that in a way increases the selection headache for the selectors; Shreyas Iyer is still not 100% fit, and the IND vs NZ ODI squad is due to be announced next week.
So, who would the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel go with? Will it be Ruturaj Gaikwad, or Devdutt Padikkal, or both? We would find out soon.
*Gaikwad had played in SA ODI series, but isn’t a certainty in the squad
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