Devdutt Padikkal calls India A captaincy ‘great opportunity’ ahead of Australia series

Devdutt Padikkal will captain India A in the multi-day matches against Australia A and serve as vice-captain in the white-ball games, while Mohammed Siraj said the Duleep Trophy helped him regain his bowling rhythm.

Updated : Sep 12, 2026 16:26 IST , CHENNAI - 3 MINS READ

Devdutt Padikkal of the South Zone during the Duleep Trophy final at Chepauk on Thursday. | Photo Credit: R. RAGU

Devdutt Padikkal described leading India A in its upcoming multi-format series against Australia A later this month as a “great opportunity".

Padikkal has been named as captain for the multi-day matches and vice-captain for the white-ball matches in a strong group of players, including B. Sai Sudharsan, Priyansh Arya, and Rajat Patidar. 

He had taken over captaincy of Karnataka midway through last year’s Ranji Trophy in its run to the final. 

“It’s a great opportunity to be captain of India A. I’m looking forward to it. I think leadership is something that I really enjoy doing, especially starting off with Karnataka last year. It was a great learning curve for me,” Padikkal told the media after the Duleep Trophy final. 

Padikkal also noted that captaincy was not a hindrance to his game, saying, “Personally, I enjoy captaincy. That’s just an added responsibility to go out there and make sure that I’m helping the side. I’ve always played cricket that way.

“I’ve always wanted to make sure that the team wins. As a captain, that’s your sole focus. You want to make the team win. That just helps my batting even further,” he said.

The 26-year-old has featured regularly over the last two months of India A and the senior side, and he said that he was delighted to see evolution in his game over that time.

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“It’s a constant learning curve. There are a lot of things that I’ve learnt throughout the season. I think more technically than mentally. There were a few changes that I needed to make to evolve as a batter in the last season or so.

“We’re playing in different conditions. Obviously, Sri Lanka and Chennai were quite similar. But moving forward, going to New Zealand as well, it’ll be interesting to see how I can adapt to different conditions,” he said.

Playing Duleep Trophy helped me find rhythm: Siraj

Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj attributed his struggles through the second Test in Sri Lanka and the first innings in the Duleep Trophy final to a lack of rhythm caused by an extended break in the schedule. 

“I’m a rhythm bowler; until I’m in rhythm, I can’t get out of the crease," Siraj explained. “Coming off a two-month break straight into a match, my rhythm wasn’t quite there. Heading into this game, finding that flow was my primary goal. Playing this match helped tremendously. 

“After two months off, your body doesn’t react the same way—everything feels a beat slower. Getting through this game got my body moving again and brought my rhythm right back.”

The fast bowler noted that the two-month break between the one-off Test against Afghanistan and the Sri Lanka series was a rarity in his career and one that required some adjustment. 

“Everybody’s body is different; mine doesn’t need that long a break. Even a small break and I can come back. In my 10-year career, I think this is the first time I’ve got a two-month break,” he noted. 

“I was working out in the gym and bowling occasionally, but no amount of practice can replicate match intensity. It was a new experience, but a valuable learning curve for me going forward.”