Last year, Devdutt Padikkal was seen as the next big batting hope of Indian cricket.
The tall Karnataka batsmen is a rarity in Indian cricket - a left-handed opener with a free-flowing style and shots all around the wicket.
A superb Indian Premier League season with his then franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he scored more than 400 runs in 2021 and also hit a century, put him in front of the queue of young Indian batsmen.
Given that Shikhar Dhawan is the only specialist left-handed white-ball opener in India, it seemed international cricket was going to be the next step.
However, 2022 did not pan out the way Padikkal hoped for. Firstly, he was no longer at Bangalore; Rajasthan Royals was his new home in the IPL. And even though his franchise dazzled the way to the final, where they lost to Gujarat Titans, it was an underwhelming campaign for Padikkal.
He could not breach the 400-run mark while his teammate Jos Buttler scored almost 900. Plus, he was pushed down to the middle order, which automatically restricted the amount of time at the crease. And just like that, Padikkal drifted away from the cricket conversation as other young batsmen like Deepak Hooda and Suryakumar Yadav grabbed their opportunities with the national team.
This is the T20 World Cup year. While many players are looking to impress selectors one last time before the squad and back-up list of players for the tournament in Australia is announced, Padikkal is focusing on regaining his touch in domestic cricket.
Currently participating in the Maharaja KSCA T20 Trophy in Karnataka, the 22-year-old is not looking too far ahead and instead is focusing on taking small steps.
"I never look at Indian team selection. I try to focus on my game. It has not changed for the past few years," Padikkal told The National. "I look to improve my game every time I go to bat. I just want to continue to learn."
Padikkal is back opening the innings, for Gulbarga Mystics, and that has translated into good starts in every match, with a couple of fifties. Returning to his familiar position at the top of the order, and at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, has been a breath of fresh air.
"It is a great platform. I came to the limelight through a similar domestic tournament. To have this league in Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium is something every youngster in Karnataka dreams of," added Padikkal, who has represented India in two T20 games - against Sri Lanka last year.
While his IPL 2022 season wasn't exactly stellar, he did enjoy the relaxed environment of the Rajasthan dressing room and also received a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - playing an IPL final in front of 100,000 fans.
"There was a lot to learn for me throughout the IPL. It was a new role for me at Rajasthan Royals. Hopefully I can build on that. It was a relaxed and laid back dressing room. Everyone was really together as a family.
"[The final] was incredible. That stadium is out of this world. To play in front of that many people was amazing."
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The five pillars of Islam
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
New Zealand
Penalties: Barrett (7)
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Tries: Faletau, Murray
Penalties: Farrell (4)
Conversions: Farrell
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
