The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has appointed Devdutt Padikkal as captain of the team for the remainder of the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. The 25-year-old cricketer replaces Mayank Agarwal.
Amit Verma, the chief selector of KSCA, announced the decision on Monday afternoon. The call was made ahead of Karnataka’s must-win final Group B fixture against Punjab, starting on 29 January in Mohali. Veteran wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul has also returned to the Karnataka squad for the crucial clash.
“We feel that Mayank (Agarwal) gets very involved with the team, and we believe that the responsibility of captaincy is taking a toll on his batting,” chief selector Amit Verma told Deccan Herald. “He is in a good place and is playing reasonably well. We expect a lot from him since he is a big-match player who scores big runs, which is not happening now. This decision was about relieving him of captaincy pressure, as he is very crucial for us at the top of the order.”
Speaking about Padikkal’s promotion, Verma said, “We wanted to put a little more responsibility on Devdutt (Padikkal). It will be good for his growth. If we put that extra pressure and responsibility on him, it might help him develop as a captain. It could eventually help him when he plays in Indian whites as well.”
Squad for Punjab game: Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul, Aneesh KV, Devdutt Padikkal (c), Smaran R, Shreyas Gopal, Kruthik Krishna (wk), Venkatesh M, Vidyadhar Patil, Vidwath Kaverappa, Prasidh M Krishna, Mohsin Khan, Shikhar Shetty, Shrijith KL (wk), Dhruv Prabhakar.
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