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Karnataka’s Devdutt Padikkal in action during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy cricket match against Tamil Nadu at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat on Tuesday, December 02, 2025.
| Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI
Devdutt Padikkal smashed a scintillating unbeaten 102 (46b, 10×4, 6×6) to propel Karnataka to its second-highest total of 245 for three, setting up a thumping 145-run victory over Tamil Nadu in their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite Group-D fourth-round clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium B-Ground here on Tuesday.
The left-hander completed his fourth T20 hundred in style — a 45-ball onslaught sealed with a straight six off R. Rajkumar on the penultimate ball of Karnataka’s innings.
If his knock had a central target, it was T. Natarajan. Padikkal plundered 45 from just 17 balls off the left-arm seamer, peppering him with four fours and three towering sixes. In a hundred laced with intent, the assault on Natarajan became the soundtrack.
Karnataka’s Devdutt Padikkal in action during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy cricket match against Tamil Nadu at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat on Tuesday, December 02, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
VIJAY SONEJI
Padikkal didn’t bother settling in. His first touch of the ball was violence in the guise of timing — a flick to midwicket off Natarajan that sailed out of the ground for a six. When Natarajan missed his yorkers, Padikkal sent him straight back over long-off and then flicked him over square-leg for two more sixes.
When the length shifted short, Padikkal shifted modes — helping one over the keeper, pulling another to square leg, and guiding a third past short third man, all for fours. He even found the cover boundary with a rasping carve for good measure.
Under the weight of a big chase, Tamil Nadu crumbled. Leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal drew opener Amith Sathvik (15) forward and out of the crease to be stumped, had Jagadeesan (21) pull straight to long-on, and had R. Rajkumar (16) hole out to an incoming long-off to finish with figures of three for 21.
Fellow leg-spinner Pravin Dubey had Sai Kishore caught-and-bowled, TN skipper Varun Chakaravarthy (duck) hit straight to deep midwicket, and Natarajan (1) offer a catch to long-off for his three for 15. Sai Sudharsan (8) played on to have his off-stump knocked down off pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak.
Later in the day, skipper Manisankar Murasingh’s all-round effort — an unbeaten 25 off 18 balls, and two for 19 in four overs — helped Tripura clinch an upset 12-run win over Delhi.
He provided a late flourish with the bat, cracking a lofted extra-cover four and a pulled mid-wicket six off Ayush Badoni in the final over to lift Tripura to a competitive 157 for five.
With the ball, the medium-pacer struck early, removing the dangerous Priyansh Arya (8) in the third over when the batter slashed a wide delivery to third man. In the 19th over, he had Tejasvi Dahiya (23) mistime a pull off an off-cutter bouncer, holing out to the incoming long-on fielder.
Despite conceding a couple of wides, medium-pacer Indrajit Debnath still managed to defend 20 in the last over, as Anuj Rawat’s (16) on-side heave went straight to short third man.
Published – December 02, 2025 05:59 pm IST
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SMAT | Padikkal’s pyrotechnics propels Karnataka to a massive win over Tamil Nadu
