How can Padikkal get into Team India? Sehwag flags selection issue despite IPL form

Devdutt Padikkal’s blazing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 form with Royal Challengers Bengaluru has reignited calls for his return to Team India. But former India opener Virender Sehwag believes the bigger hurdle is not performance, but the lack of space in an already stacked batting lineup.

The left-hander’s form has put him back in the spotlight, but the bigger question remains about space in India’s packed batting order. Speaking to Cricbuzz, Sehwag pointed out the depth in Indian cricket that makes it difficult for even in-form players to break in.

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“Dinesh Karthik is saying that Padikkal should play for India, but every season players emerge who feel that they should play for India. But where is the space in the Indian team?” Sehwag said.

“There is no place for Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, Devdutt Padikkal, and there are many more players. There is no place for Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal. There are five players who are scoring runs, but who will you drop for them? Where is the space?”

That is the reality right now. You can score runs, you can win games, and still find the door shut because there are just too many players doing the same thing.

HOW GOOD HAS PADIKKAL BEEN IN IPL 2026?

Padikkal has not just been good this season. He has been different.

Playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he has moved away from the “take your time” version of himself. Now, he walks in and starts swinging from the first over.

The best example came against Gujarat Titans. Chasing 206, he smashed 55 off 27 balls, got to his fifty in 20 deliveries, and hit six sixes. Along with Virat Kohli, he added 115 runs for the second wicket and pretty much killed the chase by the halfway mark.

The numbers show how big the shift has been. His strike rate in the first ten balls this season is 170.18. Last year it was 126.51. The year before, just 74.42.

Overall, the jump is even crazier. After 99 T20 innings at 131.98, he is now striking at 165.36 in his last 22. In IPL 2026 alone, that number has gone past 180.

He has already scored over 200 runs in the first six games and is closing in on last season’s tally. But more than runs, it is the impact. Powerplay overs are no longer quiet when he is around. Bowlers are under pressure from ball one.

HOW THE INDIA TEAM BATTLE LOOKS FOR PADIKKAL?

And yet, this is where things get tricky.

In T20Is alone, you already have Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan in the mix. Then there is Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, who are already ahead in the queue.

Throw in Tilak Varma, T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, and even emerging names like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and it becomes a crowd.

“If a senior player is given a break, then some of these players can be given a chance. But in that team, where the competition is so tough, I would say that I don’t need a break. Because if I take a break and someone else comes in my place and scores runs, then I will be left out," Sehwag added.

The ODI side is not any easier. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Gill have a strong grip on the top order, while players like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Jaiswal are also waiting.

So where does Padikkal fit in?

Right now, he is doing his bit. Scoring fast, winning games, and changing perceptions. The rest might just come down to timing.

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