3 reasons why Devdutt Padikkal must be part of India's squad for the Sri Lanka series

In a curtailed 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, Devdutt Padikkal turned heads with his exploits for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Although his season wasn't as prolific as he would've liked, Padikkal notched up his maiden ton in a sizzling display of hitting against the Rajasthan Royals. More importantly, he showed positive intent in every knock, resulting in a clear improvement in strike rate when compared to the previous season.

As India prepare to name a second-string squad for three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka, Padikkal is among those rumored to have a shot at a maiden national call-up.

Here are 3 reasons why Devdutt Padikkal should be part of India's squad for the series against Sri Lanka.

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#3 India need back-up openers

New Zealand v India - ODI: Game 1

With Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul part of India's touring contingent for the World Test Championship final and five-Test series against England, the Men in Blue need to procure new openers from elsewhere.

Shikhar Dhawan, who is expected to lead the side against Sri Lanka, and Prithvi Shaw are the obvious options. But India need reserve openers as well. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are capable of opening the batting, but they might be needed to add weight to a middle order that looks a bit thin on paper.

Devdutt Padikkal might be one of the first names considered when the selectors look at reserve openers. He has played for India A before, and many former Indian cricketers have thrown their weight behind his ability.

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#2 Devdutt Padikkal is technically ready for international white-ball cricket

Devdutt Padikkal

Technically and mentally speaking, Devdutt Padikkal seems ready for the step up to international cricket.

In IPL 2021, Padikkal showed improved technique, especially against spin. He struggled to find the boundary outside the powerplay in last year's IPL, but essayed slog-sweeps, cuts and lofted drives this season. And even against the new ball, the southpaw wasted no time in attempting to clear the infield and tickling the ball behind square leg deftly.

Mentally, the aforementioned shift in attitude is certainly something that augurs well for Devdutt Padikkal. It indicated that he is no longer scared of failure, which is something that comes with a sense of belonging and security over his place in the team.

At 20 years of age and two (well, one and a half) IPL seasons under his belt, Padikkal is at the right stage of his career to be introduced to international cricket, especially against a relatively weaker opposition like Sri Lanka.

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#1 Devdutt Padikkal has scored runs, runs and more runs

Devdutt Padikkal

In the 2021 white-ball domestic season, Devdutt Padikkal scored heaps - no, mountains - of runs.

In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he scored 218 runs in six games at an average of 43.6 and a strike rate of 134.56. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Padikkal scored 737 runs at an average of 147.4, with three fifties and four hundreds - the second-highest tally in a single season of the List A competition.

Padikkal's 2021 Vijay Hazare performances weren't a one-off, either. In the previous edition of the tournament, he was Karnataka's leading run-scorer with 609 runs in 11 matches.

The IPL, of course, has seen the 20-year-old string together impressive performances. He was RCB's highest run-getter in IPL 2020, with three fifties in his first four league games.

To put it simply, Devdutt Padikkal has been a run machine over the last two years. He has made a genuine case for himself to be called up to the Indian side, and that's exactly what should happen against Sri Lanka.