Devdutt Padikkal Breaks Huge Record, Also Joins Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag In Elite Club After 167 vs SL
Devdutt Padikkal top-scored for India in their first innings of the first Test against Sri Lanka, slamming a magnificent 167.
In a batting lineup featuring standout names like Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant, it's Devdutt Padikkal who stood out in India's first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. Padikkal led the way in India's first innings, slamming his maiden Test hundred, and ending with a score of 167. The left-hander, who is fighting to make the No. 3 spot his own in the long run, entered multiple record books during his classy knock in Galle.
Padikkal became only the fifth Indian batter to notch up a 150+ Test score in Sri Lanka, joining Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara in the elite club.
He broke Pujara's record of becoming the youngest Indian to score 150+ in the island nation.
Padikkal also surpassed Pujara as the Indian No. 3 batter with the highest individual score in a Test in Sri Lanka. Pujara's previous record was an innings of 153 in 2017, also in Galle.
Overall, he slammed the second-highest score by an Indian No. 3 against Sri Lanka. Only the legendary Rahul Dravid sits above him in that category, having made 177 at Ahmedabad in 2009.
The southpaw also registered the highest-ever score by a left-handed Indian No. 3 batter away from home in Test cricket. His 167 surpassed Ajit Wadekar's 143 against New Zealand at Wellington in 1968.
Playing only his third Test match, Padikkal looked the most assured of the star-studded Indian batters. He slammed 15 boundaries and a maximum en route to his knock of 167 off 230 balls.
The 26-year-old looked set for a double century, but got out stumped on 167 off Prabath Jayasuriya's bowling.
Having enjoyed an excellent domestic season for Karnataka and then a superb IPL 2026 campaign for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Padikkal appears to have continued his rich vein of form into international red-ball cricket.
India Cricket Team
Sachin Tendulkar
Virender Sehwag
Cheteshwar Pujara