Devdutt Padikkal Captain: The Karnataka star has made a major and surprising decision during the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season, changing its captaincy. In Elite Group B, the Karnataka team has not performed as expected so far and has removed Mayank Agarwal from the captaincy before their last league match and appointed young batsman Devdutt Padikkal as the new captain of the team. This match against Punjab in Mohali is going to be crucial for Karnataka, as it will be difficult for the team to reach the knockout stage without a win.
Devdutt Padikkal Captain In Ranji Trophy
Karnataka has made a major and surprising decision during the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season, changing its captaincy. The team, which has not performed as expected so far in Elite Group B, has removed Mayank Agarwal from the captaincy before their last league match and appointed young batsman Devdutt Padikkal as the new captain. This match against Punjab in Mohali is crucial for Karnataka, as it will be difficult for the team to reach the knockout stage without a win.
Devdutt Padikkal Replaces Mayank Agarwal
Meanwhile, the 34-year-old Mayank Agarwal has been retained in the team as a senior batsman, although his performance this season has been average, with 298 runs in 9 innings.
For this crucial match, KL Rahul and Prasidh Krishna have also returned to the Karnataka team, while Karun Nair is out due to a finger injury. Karnataka, currently in third place in Group B with 21 points, must win against Punjab to secure their place in the knockout stage without any complications. This change in captaincy is being considered a major masterstroke by Karnataka during the tournament.
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