When Shikhar Dhawan Goes, Devdutt Padikkal Would Be The Right Replacement For Him: Virender Sehwag
Updated - 29 Jul 2021, 09:49 PM
Former Indian swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag has heaped high praise on left-handed opener Devdutt Padikkal, stating that the rookie opener would be an ideal replacement for Shikhar Dhawan when the latter calls it quits.
Devdutt Padikkal made his T20I debut for India in the second match against Sri Lanka in Colombo to become the first 21st century Indian to represent the national cricket team.
And, while he didn’t get a big score, the southpaw impressed with his batting on a sluggish surface, scoring a 23-ball 29.
“I really want to see him perform because the way he played a couple of innings, struck a century in the IPL, we saw some brilliant batting. When Shikhar Dhawan goes, he would be the right replacement for him. The only thing is that I want these Indian youngsters to first get opportunities in the sub-continent, because then when he goes to England, Australia or South Africa, there is confidence behind him,” Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.
Devdutt Padikkal will get another opportunity to showcase his credentials in the series decider against Sri Lanka and Sehwag believes that if the southpaw can get a big score then it will give him the confidence that he can be a future star.
“If he performs, it will help his confidence and he can be a future star. He has that talent based on what I’ve seen in his batting. There’s no better thing than him getting an opportunity against Sri Lanka. The wickets will be flat, there will be no swing or seam. He just needs to keep a little bit of patience and needs to be careful with his shot selection. It shouldn’t be tough for him to score runs,” Sehwag pointed out.
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Sri Lanka vs India 2021 Virender Sehwag