It's A Really Great Achievement For Me: Devdutt Padikkal After Winning The 'Emerging Player Of The Season' Award

The IPL is a land of opportunities! It is a platform where talents from all around the world take center stage as if to say ‘Come! Look at us’. A number of cricketers did that in IPL 2020 but don’t think any youngster did it as often as Karnataka and Royal Challengers Bangalore opener, Devdutt Padikkal.

And, it did not really come as a surprise to anyone that the young batsman was adjudged as the ‘Emerging Player of the Season’.

Padikkal, 20, had come into the IPL riding on a reputation of having a penchant for scoring runs on a consistent basis. And, the stylish southpaw did a helluva job to walk away from the season with his reputation certainly enhanced.

4️⃣7️⃣3️⃣ RUNS
5️⃣ FIFTIES

20-year old Devdutt Padikkal ? pic.twitter.com/XQFAyLnrXi

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 10, 2020

Padikkal announced his arrival in the IPL with a sumptuous half-century against the SunRisers Hyderabad. More than the runs that he scored in that innings, it was the manner in which he got them that left everyone gasping for him. His ferocious square-cuts displayed his brute strength and immaculate hand-eye coordination while his nonchalant flick off his pads showed his ability to time a cricket ball in shining light.

Devdutt did not break a sweat post his maiden half-century in his debut game as he went from strength-to-strength to become the first batsman in the history of the IPL to score three 50s in their first 4 innings.

 

Devdutt Padikkal dazzled to the hilt in IPL 2020

Padikkal continued to score consistently even as his celebrated partner in Aaron Finch struggled. Devdutt Padikkal struggled a bit to up the tempo after the powerplay as the tournament progressed but the southpaw showed improvements on that front during his brilliant 45-ball 74 against the Mumbai Indians.

Devdutt became just the second uncapped player in the history of the IPL to score in excess of 400 in a debut season. He eventually finished with 473 runs in 15 innings at an average of 31.53 and a strike-rate of 124.- something he’d be looking to improve- with five 50-plus scores.

Naturally, Padikkal was chuffed to bits on receiving the ‘Emerging Player’ Award, adding that the success in IPL 2020 has given him enough confidence for ‘whatever lies ahead’

”It’s a really great achievement for me and gives me great confidence for whatever lies ahead,” Devdutt Padikkal said.

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