Galle, August 17, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India vice-captain KL Rahul praised Devdutt Padikkal after the young left-handed batter scored his maiden Test century, describing the 167-run knock against Sri Lanka as a “very special” achievement.
Padikkal, batting at No. 3, struck 15 fours and a six as India reached 460/9 in 116 overs at the close of play on the second day of the first Test in Galle.
Rahul, who has followed Padikkal’s progress through the Karnataka system, said he was particularly pleased to see the batter convert his opportunities after spending the past few years working patiently for a place in the Indian team.
“Very special. Obviously coming from the same state, Dev is somebody that I’ve seen come through the ranks from under-19s and scored runs for Karnataka and make his way up to Indian cricket,” Rahul said in a video posted on the BCCI website.
He said Padikkal had been working quietly on his batting and had regularly discussed with him the demands of playing Test cricket in Sri Lankan conditions.
Rahul noted that Padikkal had previously played in Sri Lanka and had also represented India A, while his century in the warm-up game provided further evidence of his readiness.
“He’s been amongst runs, he’s someone who loves batting and scoring big runs and I’m really happy that he could get the first hundred,” Rahul said.
He added that the century should give Padikkal confidence to build greater consistency and produce bigger scores for India.
Rahul himself contributed a valuable 82 and explained that preparation against spin had been central to his approach in Sri Lanka.
“When you’re scoring a place like Sri Lanka, where spin is going to play a very big role, you need to get your game plans right, you need to tighten up some technical aspects of your game and also understand what areas of the ground you can score in,” he said.
Having played in Sri Lanka before, Rahul said he had studied previous series and worked out how to give himself the best chance against spin.
Despite India’s strong position, he cautioned his teammates against complacency, saying batting conditions were likely to become increasingly challenging as the series progresses.
“There are a few more innings to go in this series, so I think it will only get harder and harder from here on,” Rahul said, stressing the importance of sticking to the team’s plans.
The vice-captain also praised the collaborative atmosphere within the Indian dressing room and highlighted the role of India A tours in preparing younger players for overseas conditions.
He said the experience gained by players who had toured Sri Lanka with India A had helped them understand the pitches and opposition bowlers before stepping into the Test series.
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