Devdutt Padikkal continues to underline his stature as one of India’s most consistent domestic performers, delivering another statement season in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26. Representing Karnataka, the elegant left-hander has been in scintillating form, and his latest knock on Tuesday (January 6) against Rajasthan etched his name firmly into the tournament’s history books.
With a composed 91 off 82 balls in Ahmedabad, Padikkal became the first cricketer ever to score more than 600 runs in three different Vijay Hazare Trophy seasons. It was a milestone that reflected not just his purple patch this year, but also his sustained excellence in India’s premier domestic one-day competition.
The innings took his tally to 605 runs for the ongoing season, making him the first and only batter to breach the 600-run mark in the 2025–26 edition so far. Devdutt Padikkal’s campaign has been built on remarkable consistency. He decisively began the season with back-to-back centuries — a commanding 147 against Jharkhand, followed by a fluent 124 versus Kerala.
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After a rare low score of 22 against Tamil Nadu, the Bengaluru-born batter quickly returned to his best, smashing centuries against Puducherry (113) and Tripura (108). His 91 against Rajasthan was yet another reminder of his ability to anchor and accelerate with equal assurance.
6️⃣0️⃣0️⃣+ runs in three different seasons of #VijayHazareTrophy: ⬇️
Devdutt Padikkal. ❤️🔥
End of list. 😮💨The DDP juggernaut remains unstoppable. 🔥#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB pic.twitter.com/eOsgsEvzPt
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) January 6, 2026
Born in Edapal, Kerala, Padikkal made his Vijay Hazare Trophy debut for Karnataka in September 2019 and has been a run machine ever since. He amassed 609 runs in the 2019–20 season and followed it up with a staggering 737 runs in just seven matches during the 2020–21 edition. Those numbers laid the foundation for his reputation as a big-match, big-season performer.
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While several batters — including Mayank Agarwal and Ruturaj Gaikwad — have crossed the 600-run mark more than once in Vijay Hazare Trophy history, Padikkal now stands alone as the only player to achieve the feat three times. With this level of form and maturity at just 25, the Karnataka opener continues to strengthen his case as a dependable option for higher honours, proving once again that consistency is his biggest strength.
