Devdutt Padikkal hammers his 19th fifty in First-Class cricket: Stats
What's the story
The opening day of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season saw a stellar performance from Karnataka against Saurashtra. A partnership between Devdutt Padikkal (96) and Karun Nair (73) helped their team reach a solid position at the end of Day 1 (295/5). The match is being played at Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. Padikkal, who was a part of the Team India squad in their recently concluded series against West Indies, showed his mettle at number three against Saurashtra.
Match progress
A solid partnership after a shaky start
Karnataka captain Mayank Agarwal and S Nikin Jose were quickly put under pressure by Saurashtra's bowlers, led by their skipper Jaydev Unadkat. However, Padikkal and Nair came together to form a solid partnership. They added 146 runs for the third wicket, taking Karnataka out of a precarious position at 26/2. Padikkal and Nair's partnership was a mix of youthful ambition and experienced composure. They rotated the strike effectively, keeping the scoreboard ticking. Saurashtra's left-arm spinner Dharmendra Jadeja, ended the duo's stay.
Stats
Padikkal races past 3,100 runs in FC cricket
Padikkal, who was looking well set for a century, managed 96 runs from 141 balls. He struck 11 fours during his stay at the crease. Playing his 47th match in First-Class cricket, Padikkal has raced to 3,140 runs at an average of around 43. This was his 19th fifty in FC cricket (100s: 7) from 47 innings.