Devdutt Padikkal achieves historic century against Sri Lanka, joining Virat Kohli in an exclusive cricket milestone on Independence Day.

Indian cricketer Devdutt Padikkal made history on August 15 by becoming only the second Indian player to score an international century on the nation’s Independence Day. This remarkable achievement took place during the first Test match against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Cricket Stadium, where Padikkal's outstanding performance at the No. 3 batting position significantly contributed to India's strong start on Day 1.

Prior to Padikkal's achievement, Virat Kohli was the sole Indian cricketer to have scored an international century on August 15, accomplishing this milestone in 2019 with an unbeaten 114 runs against the West Indies in an ODI. Padikkal's century not only places him alongside Kohli in this exclusive club but also marks him as the first Indian to achieve a Test century on this significant date.

Padikkal stepped into the No. 3 batting role after Sai Sudharsan was sidelined due to injury, and he made the most of this opportunity with a stellar innings. By the end of Day 1, he had scored an impressive 131 runs, helping India reach a solid total of 288 for 2 after 73 overs. His century also ended a lengthy wait for a Test hundred from the No. 3 position for India, with the last such achievement being by Shubman Gill against Bangladesh in September 2024.

Additionally, Padikkal's performance places him among a select group of Indian left-handed batters who have scored Test centuries from the No. 3 position in the 21st century. He is only the second to do so, following former captain Sourav Ganguly, who scored 136 runs against Zimbabwe in 2002. Overall, Padikkal is the sixth Indian left-hander to achieve this feat, joining the ranks of notable players such as Vinod Kambli, who leads with four centuries, and Ganguly, who has three. Other left-handed batsmen like Salim Durani, Bapu Nadkarni, Ajit Wadekar, Eknath Solkar, Surinder Amarnath, and now Padikkal have each recorded one century from this position.