The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced that Devdutt Padikkal has been added to the India squad for the series opener against Australia. Padikkal expressed his excitement about joining the national team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.
India is dealing with challenges ahead of the five-match Test series in Australia. Skipper Rohit Sharma will miss the first Test due to personal reasons, and Shubman Gill is unlikely to play because of a thumb injury.
Devdutt Padikkal Joins Squad Before Perth Test
On November 21 the BCCI shared a video confirming Padikkal’s inclusion in the squad for the first Test, set to begin on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
“Devdutt Padikkal has joined the #TeamIndia squad. The left-handed batter shares his experience and excitement of training with the group ahead of the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” the BCCI captioned the post.
Padikkal has shown decent form recently, scoring 36, 88, 26, and 1 for India A against Australia A. Earlier this year, he scored 65 in his Test debut against England in Dharamsala. In his first-class career, the 24-year-old has accumulated 2,677 runs in 40 matches, including six centuries and 17 fifties.
He is expected to play in the first Test and might bat at No. 3. Dhruv Jurel could also feature as a specialist batter in the same position, while Nitish Kumar Teddy is set to make his debut. The team may opt for three pacers and one spinner in the playing XI.
“It feels pretty surreal, to be honest. The intensity at the practice sessions is pretty high. You feel that challenge; you feel that everyone is ready, raring to go for the big series ahead,” said Padikkal.
Padikkal described his selection as pretty surreal and shared his thoughts on joining the Indian team. He highlighted the high intensity of practice sessions comparing them to actual matches and reflected on his journey from the India A tour to the senior squad.
