IND vs. SL 2021: "Making the debut is a special feeling"- Devdutt Padikkal on his maiden outing for Team India

Opener Devdutt Padikkal earned a debut in the second T20I against Sri Lanka after being on the bench for the ODI series. The left-hander struck 29 off 23 deliveries and was one of the standout batters for India on a sluggish surface.

Padikkal arrived at the crease following the wicket of fellow debutant Ruturaj Gaikwad. The latter was preferred to open the innings for the team alongside skipper Shikhar Dhawan to enforce a left-right combination at the top of the order.

INNINGS BREAK: #TeamIndia post 1⃣3⃣2⃣/5⃣ on the board after put in to bat in the 2nd #SLvIND T20I! 4⃣0⃣ for @SDhawan25 2⃣9⃣ for @devdpd07 2/29 for Akila DananjayaSri Lanka to commence their chase soon. Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/Hsbf9yWCCh pic.twitter.com/2SYLWpJgAB

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 28, 2021

On a very slow surface where the ball did not come on to the bat all that well, Padikkal looked fluent after being beaten off his very first delivery.

He struck a flamboyant slog-sweep to bring up his first boundary and perished while playing an ill-fated sweep off the in-form Wanindu Hasaranga.

"It was a little bit sticky and we had to make sure that we had to bat through as we had a batter short. We wanted to put a competitive total on the board and we have a strong bowling attack, will look to defend. This is a par score but we will have to bowl and field well . Making the debut is a special feeling. Everyone is excited about this opportunity," Padikkal said after his debut innings.

Padikkal was one of the four debutants for India tonight

The Royal Challengers Bangalore opener was handed his cap along with three other players, namely Nitish Rana, Chetan Sakariya, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

🎥Big moment for the 4⃣! 👏 👏T20I caps handed over to @devdpd07, @Ruutu1331, @NitishRana_27 & @Sakariya55! 👍 👍 #TeamIndia #SLvIND Follow the match 👉 https://t.co/Hsbf9yWCCh pic.twitter.com/E4OzrlG4Sx

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 28, 2021

Team India was forced to field a depleted squad comprising an unorthodox setup of five batters and six frontline bowlers.

This was because Krunal Pandya tested COVID-19 positive, and eight players deemed to be in close contact with him were put into isolation. As a result, their involvement in the series comes to an end.

Earlier, Sri Lanka had won the toss and elected to field first on a used surface. Despite a brisk start by the Indian opening pair, the slowness of the surface grabbed the limelight as they struggled in the middle overs.

Padikkal made an impact with his brisk innings with respect to the surface on offer. However, Sanju Samson and Nitish Rana failed to provide a spark in the death overs, leaving India with 133 to defend.