Young, daring, a go-getter, and somebody who seems absolutely confident and skin, and most importantly, in the abilities of the bat – Devdutt Paddikal is all this, and more. It seems somewhere that he is batting with that fresh lease of confidence, and in a way that he has newly rediscovered the hidden touch the commanding abilities of his talent. Something that the numbers are truly providing a clear glimpse of. But before you come to actually even appreciate his 2026 performance for the RCB in IPL, you must pause and reflect as to how badly he was struggling a couple of seasons ago. Last we forget, Paddikal was only able to manage 38 runs from 7 innings. That was at an average of 5 and a strike rate that was harshly under 80.

Then came the big transformation the next season when his strike rate touched 150 and he began to make many runs. Sole technical changes added to a fresh perspective about his key role for the RCB brought about that transformation. And now?

The same man who seemed unsure about himself has clocked in almost 400 runs and at a strike rate that’s north of 170. If that’s not impressive then what is?

And it is perhaps this very resurgence that has caught the eye of Ravichandran Ashwin, who has gone as far as to say that he sees Devdutt Padikkal as India’s next long-term No. 3 in Test cricket. Now that’s not a casual endorsement—it’s a statement layered with intent. Ashwin isn’t merely reacting to white-ball numbers; he’s reading into the method, the composure, and the way Paddikal is beginning to construct his innings.

There’s a certain old-school assurance in his batting now—the willingness to play late, to trust the line, and to let the game come to him rather than chase it.

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For a No. 3 in Tests, that temperament is everything.

What stands out even more is how Paddikal seems to have embraced responsibility without letting it weigh him down. That balance is rare. The flair is still there, the elegance hasn’t gone anywhere—but it’s now stitched together with a sense of purpose. And that’s exactly what someone like Ashwin is pointing towards.

A new direction?  India’s No. 3 isn’t just about scoring runs; it’s about absorbing pressure, setting the tone, and often, rescuing the innings from early jolts. In Paddikal, there now appears a cricketer who is not just rediscovering himself, but quietly building the blueprint of someone ready for that very role.