In the middle of 2022, Devdutt Padikkal found himself losing weight unusually. He often felt sick, and realised he didn't quite have the same energy levels to last the entire duration of a game. He brushed it off initially but when he underwent tests before the start of the domestic season, he was found to have an acute intestinal issue that had aggravated over time.
Between September and December of that year, Padikkal was in and out of the hospital. He opted out of the 2022 Vijay Hazare Trophy and played in just five Ranji Trophy matches for measly returns (260 runs in five matches at 37.14). Lack of training time had begun to show as he edged closer to IPL 2023. It turned out to be a not-so-memorable season with Rajasthan Royals where he managed only 261 runs in 11 outings.
Those memories seem distant now. Fresh off an India A tour of South Africa, a reinvigorated Padikkal is looking to hit top gear as the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season looms. He started with a modest 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but returned to form at the Vijay Hazare Trophy where he was Karnataka's top run-getter (465 runs in five innings with two hundreds and three half-centuries). Now, he wants to carry forward that momentum into the red-ball season.
"When you're transitioning from white to red-ball and there isn't much of a break, it's important we get as much time out there playing as many balls as we can, that's why I've tried to increase my volume in terms of number of balls," Padikkal tells ESPNcricinfo after a lengthy net session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
"South Africa was a great experience for me, in terms of having the chance to train with the seniors [Test team]. Being in and around them, playing that level of bowling prepares you well for the Ranji season. I looked at it as an opportunity to get volumes in, in terms of my batting. I'm grateful for that experience."
One of the things Padikkal has utmost clarity about now is his role. From being an opener, he is now training himself to be a batter capable of adapting anywhere the team needs him to. That can seem a cliched line, but Padikkal is pragmatic in his thought process.
"To be honest, that has changed," he says. "My batting position - I don't look at it in terms of just being an opener anymore. I'm enjoying my opportunities, wherever they may be. Each position you bat in offers a different challenge. I'm trying to learn new things, adapt to situations. It helps me grow as a cricketer, helps me understand the game a lot more, not just in terms of my batting but how the game works across different phases."
Opportunities at the top of the order in his breakout season of 2019-20 came largely due to Mayank Agarwal being away on national duty. With Agarwal back in the Karnataka fold, not just as an opener but as captain too, and R Samarth as their second-choice opener, Padikkal has had to make the switch.
Even at Royals, where he played his last two IPL seasons, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler's partnership at the top of the order made it difficult for Padikkal to own the opening spot. It led to him shuttling up and down the order. Ahead of the auction, he was traded to the Lucknow Super Giants. Padikkal looks back at his time with the Royals as one that gave him more perspective.
"It was challenging," he says. "It took me some time to get my head around the fact that this is going to be a different role. It's not like you can just say, 'No, I can't do this'. You have to be professional enough to accept the role given to you and contribute as best as you can. The initial matches weren't easy.
"At the highest level of sport, if you're starting something fresh, it's always going to be challenging. But from those two years, I've changed my game a lot. I've picked up a lot of scoring areas, I'm able to access different parts of the fields better. It's something that I am enjoying now and hopefully I can continue doing it."
Padikkal speaks with refreshing honesty about his Royals stint. He admits to not being able to live up to his expectations but isn't beating himself over the missed chances. There's no bitterness, only memories and experiences.
"I think in my situation it was pretty clear - everybody realised that was something that wasn't working there," he says of his trade from Royals to Lucknow Super Giants. "It wasn't a situation where the franchise just wanted to let me go. They understood they weren't able to figure out a way where they could get the best out of me.
"It's my fault as well, I'm not blaming the franchise at all. I did not obviously live up to my own expectations, but I was completely at peace with it. The fact that I'm getting a chance to go to another franchise and start afresh is something I am looking forward to. I completely understood the decision, there were no hard feelings."
Before he goes to the IPL, though, there's a Ranji season. In his debut season, after he went through that massive high of topping the run charts in the white-ball formats, he learnt a vital lesson. Of developing a "stable mind." The man who gave him that sound advice was KL Rahul, who he will now play with at Super Giants.
"The biggest thing is to be as stable as possible mentally," he says of his leanings. "Your mindset needs to be as consistent as you can keep it through the highs and lows. Try and be level-headed, because the moment you start going emotionally up and down, it becomes challenging. The lows can feel even lower, highs being as high won't help you cope with the lows.
"That's something I've tried to get into myself over the years, that has helped me a lot. It's obviously a cut-throat sport, there's lot of competition, lot of things going on, everything may not go your way all the time, just have to keep things level-headed, surround yourself with people who keep you that way. That's something I've learnt."
How does one develop such a mindset?
"I think it's something I've talked about myself. I just made a conscious effort to, when I get those highs and get those lows, I try not to change my attitude or do something different at those points. If I have a routine for the highs, I stick to that. If I have a routine for the lows, I stick to that. I try not to mix it, try not to do something extra when I'm in those moments. When you have that consistency in your daily life, it translates onto the cricket field too.
"Initially [during his breakout season], once I started playing in the IPL, I spoke to KL. He also spoke to me about staying stable through the highs and lows, that I feel has helped me a lot over the years. It's something a lot of people tend to avoid. They try to go with the flow, they try and enjoy the highs as much as possible, but when the lows come, they struggle. That's something I've worked on. Coming back from where I was a couple of years ago, I'm grateful I had the right people around to help me through that."
At 23, Padikkal's maturity shines through. There's a firm understanding of the need to keep evolving as a cricketer. The mental shift he spoke about in terms of balancing the highs and lows has come from experience. He says he is able to elucidate his thought process so much only because of the self-awareness he has developed.
"It comes from being in the IPL and learning and interacting with top professionals," he says. "Being in the IPL is a great privilege. Each year I've experienced something new. I've realised you're never a finished article. Every season you find something new to learn and implement in your game. That is something I've looked forward to every year. It's a platform we're so fortunate to have and it's something I never take for granted."
A mixture of his IPL exploits and his breakout domestic season of 2019-20 (where he topped the charts in both white-ball formats) earned him an India cap during the tour of Sri Lanka in 2021. With the Test specialists away in England, Padikkal was part of a second-string T20I squad. Padikkal still pinches himself at the thought of being labelled an "India player" and yearns to wear that cap again soon.
"I remember everything about that day. You literally dream about it every single day. Just wearing that jersey, cap, being on the field - I remember every second of it," Padikkal says with a glint. "That's something that will never leave me. If I were to never play a game for India, that's something I will never forget. So many [people] play in this country, and to be one of those XI wearing the jersey on that tour and playing was an honour. I'm hopeful I'll get the chance again."
As part of the journey back to earning the India cap, Padikkal wants the Ranji Trophy to be the springboard onto the IPL. It's a tournament he holds in high regard and one he "never wants to take for granted."
"Over four days, there are so many moments which at that point may not seem big or important, but when you look back you realise how much you had to work mentally and physically to get through the phase, and you can't buy that kind of experience or grind," Padikkal says. "It may not be an entire day, may just be a spell or a session. That's something you get in Ranji cricket that you don't in any other format."
Are there any passages from personal experience that he looks back on fondly?
"Oh, quite a few," he says spontaneously. "Against Saurashtra in Rajkot (2019-20), we fielded for almost two days and conceded 500-plus. After fielding for nearly two days, I got out for a first-ball duck. We were given a follow-on, but I'd fallen sick and was running a high temperature. I batted for 133 balls to get a half-century and helped save the game. The ball was turning big, fizzing from the rough and they had a great spin attack. That was satisfying.
"Then the 2019-20 semi-final against Bengal, where I got a second-innings fifty on a green top. That was pretty special, even though we lost. To just be able to counter swing and seam the way I did gave me a lot of confidence. These are the kinds of challenges am looking forward to again this Ranji Trophy. Hopefully after a lot of years of losing in the semis, we can go all the way."