Devdutt Padikkal continued his dream run in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-2026 on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, in Ahmedabad, even if his 91 off 82 balls against Rajasthan felt strangely modest by his towering standards.
In a tournament where most batters would celebrate such an innings, Padikkal walked off short of a century yet further cemented his status as the competition's standout performer.
The Karnataka left-hander has now amassed over 600 runs in just six innings, a staggering return that highlights the consistency and control with which he has dominated the season. His latest knock was built on timing, composure and class, anchoring the innings with trademark assurance.
Across the tournament, scores of 147, 124, 113, 108 and 91 have taken Padikkal to 605 runs at an extraordinary average of 100.83, with four centuries and a near-miss fifty. That a fluent 91 could feel underwhelming is a measure of the unreal standards he has set match after match.
What makes the run even more remarkable is its historical significance. Padikkal has become the first batter to score 600 runs in three different editions of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, underlining sustained excellence rather than a fleeting purple patch.
Across 38 List A innings, he now boasts 13 hundreds and 13 fifties, numbers that place him firmly in elite company.
Padikkal has shown he can bat long, accelerate when needed, and control an innings from start to finish. Yet, despite this unreal form, he remains outside India's ODI setup -- raising inevitable questions about how high the selection bar truly is.
If performances alone decide selection, Devdutt Padikkal has done more than enough to force the door open.
Karnataka crush Rajasthan, seal quarters berth
Skipper Mayank Agarwal and Devdutt Padikkal continued their rich vein of form as the Karnataka openers shared a huge partnership to help their team crush Rajasthan by 150 runs and secure a spot in the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarterfinals.
The sixth-round Group A game turned into a lopsided contest with Mayank (100 off 107 balls) slamming his second century of the ongoing tournament, while Padikkal (91 off 82 balls) missed his fifth ton by just nine runs as Karnataka emerged as a leading contender for the title this season by carving out a massive 324 for 7.
India pacer Prasidh Krishna (5/36) then made a huge impact with the ball by grabbing a five-for as Rajasthan crumbled for 174 in 38 overs.
Star-studded Karnataka, following their sixth successive convincing win, are leading the group with 24 points, while Kerala, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh are a distant second on 16 points, separated by the Net Run Rate (NRR). All three teams are in contention of booking a quarterfinal berth.
Tamil Nadu and Tripura are a distant fifth and sixth with eight points each.
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