RCB wishes Devdutt Padikkal ahead of ODI debut against Sri Lanka

Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) strapping opener Devdutt Padikkal has been under the spotlight following his call-up to the India squad against Sri Lanka for the limited-series tour, which starts on July 13.

With less than ten days to go before a new-look India takes on a Sri Lanka unit that is still rebuilding, RCB took to social media to post an image of Padikkal and Virat Kohli. The RCB skipper incidentally made his debut against the island nation in 2008.

The image was captioned:

"Virat Kohli 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣8️⃣ Devdutt Padikkal 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣1️⃣ Debut Tour in Sri Lanka 🤝 8️⃣ days to go! 😍 #PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #TeamIndia #SLvIND"

Padikkal was one of the new faces in the team alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad, Krishnappa Gowtham, Chetan Sakariya, Varun Chakravarthy, and Nitish Rana.

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Devdutt Padikkal's run in IPL 2021 for RCB

Padikkal's rather average outings for RCB in IPL 2021 were quickly forgotten after the Karnataka batsman blitzed an unbeaten 52-ball knock of 101 against the Rajasthan Royals. He toyed with the Royals' bowlers and made easy work of a 177 chase.

With Kohli (72* off 47) happy to play anchor, Padikkal unfurled a flurry of shots with impeccable timing to notch up his maiden IPL hundred.

Padikkal was also in great nick in the 2020-21 season of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, stacking up 218 runs from six games at an average of 43.60. He was also the second-highest run-scorer in the Vijay Hazare Trophy behind Prithvi Shaw, notching up 737 runs in seven matches.

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The Sri Lanka tour is crucial for youngsters like Prithvi Shaw, Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad: Rahul Dravid

Padikkal had a stellar domestic season before donning the RCB jersey in IPL 2021

Rahul Dravid, the head coach of the touring side, has opined that the upcoming series will give the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Devdutt Padikkal and Ruturaj Gaikwad an opportunity to impress ahead of the T20 World Cup. Speaking at a virtual press conference earlier this year, Dravid said:

"It [The Sri Lanka tour] is crucial for youngsters like Prithvi Shaw, Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad. They will be extremely keen to do well and set a marker for the selectors."

Rahul Dravid added:

"Whether they get picked for the World Cup or not, that’s a call that the selectors and the Indian team management will take based on their plans and strategies. Good performances on tours like these against international opposition make the selectors think about you."