Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star Devdutt Padikkal has been added to India's squad for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 which is scheduled to start from November 22. The Karnataka batter will most likely to play in place of Shubman Gill. Gill will most likely to miss the first Test match as the young batter has fractured his thumb while fielding in slip during India's match simulation at WACA in Perth. Apart from Padikkal, Yash Dayal has been added as a travelling reserve. Both Padikkal and Dayal were a part of the India A squad that played two unofficial Tests against Australia A.
However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to make it official.
Devdutt Padikkal showcased remarkable resilience against the Australia A bowlers in Melbourne, standing out among the Indian batters. After a subdued start in the first innings of the opening unofficial Test, Padikkal, alongside Sai Sudarshan, fought back to provide some much-needed resistance against the hosts.
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Though Padikkal fell 12 runs short of a well-deserved century, his calm and assured approach at the crease drew praise from the support staff. His selection in the lineup has also pushed Abhimanyu Easwaran’s Test debut further down the line.
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With Rohit Sharma unavailable for the first Test due to paternity leave, there were speculations that Easwaran might earn his maiden Test cap in Perth. However, his struggles against swing and seam ruled him out of contention for the playing XI.
India’s batting order is now likely to feature KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal as openers, with Padikkal and Virat Kohli filling the No. 3 and No. 4 spots. Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel are expected to round out the top six.
India's squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (Wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant (Wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
