3 Reasons Why Sai Sudharsan Picked Over Devdutt Padikkal in IND vs AFG Test

After the conclusion of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), the Indian Cricket Team is set to play a one-off Test match against the Afghanistan side at the Maharaja Singh PCA Stadium, New Chandigarh, Punjab. This marks the return of the international cricket window with many tours and tournaments coming in the following days.

Indian captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bat first due to the hot and humid conditions. The lad also announced the debut of Manav Suthar, along with Sai Sudharshan picked over Devdutt Padikkal. During the pre-match press conference the day before, coach Gautam Gambhir also highlighted the fact that Sai Sudharshan would be given a fair and long run in the Test team. The inclusion of Sai Sudharsan in the playing 11 shows the belief of the captain and coach in the abilities of the left-handed batter.

Why Sai Sudharsan Picked Over Devdutt Padikkal ?

The decision to pick Sai Sudharsan in IND vs AFG Test over IPL winner Devdutt Padikkal sparked a lot of debate in the media and public. Both Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudharshan had an amazing IPL season and would be looking forward to being involved in international cricket as well. Here are the top 3 reasons for Sai Sudharsan in playing 11 and Devdutt Padikkal dropped:

1. Backing of Team Management

As of now, Sai Sudharshan has been a part of 6 Test matches for the Indian side, playing against England, West Indies, and South Africa. In these matches, the left-handed batter has managed to score a total of 302 runs with an average of 27.45, including 2 fifties. Although the stats are not magical, the team management has publicly announced and decided that the top-order batter would be given a fair and long run where he is also seen to be one of the best batsmen in India. The skills and stature possessed by Sai Sudharshan have not been showcased yet, due to which he has been picked over Devdutt Padikkal.

2. Outstanding Recent Form

Another reason for picking Sai Sudharsan in IND vs AFG Test match is the recent form of the cricketer. In the recently concluded Indian Premier League, Sai Sudharshan managed to score a total of 722 runs in 17 innings with an average of 45.12, featuring 1 century and 8 fifties. On the other hand, Devdutt Padikkal only scored 464 runs in 15 innings for RCB. The performances of Sai Sudharsan also led his team to the finals of the T20 franchise league, even after a poor middle order.

3. Comfortable Against Turning Tracks

In the past, Sai Sudharshan has played brilliantly on turning tracks against the spinners. He proved to be the saviour of the Gujarat Titans in IPL when they were stuck against the spin attack on a difficult pitch. This is one of the reasons which lead to Devdutt Padikkal dropped from the Test match between IND and AFG. The lineup of Afghanistan features many top-quality spinners, who would be bowling to the Indian batters. The batter can easily counter the trap of spinners with his excellent skills and abilities.