Karnataka batting sensation Devdutt Padikkal on Sunday hit his third consecutive century in the  the 2021 Vijay Hazare Trophy as his team reached the quarter-finals by beating Railways. The knock now makes Padikkal the highest run-getter of this season with 572 runs from five matches at an average of 190.66.

The young batsmen made his first class debut against Maharashtra in 2018 and has 907 runs to his name in 15 matches, according to ESPN Cricinfo. 

Padikkal shot to fame during last year’s Indian Premier league with a series of brilliant knocks while opening for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He finished the season as one of the highest scorers for the franchise, scoring 473 runs in 15 matches. 

Padikkal scored a career best 152 against Odisha and followed it up with 126 not out versus Kerala in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. His knock of 145 off 125 balls on Sunday came with 9 sixes and as many boundaries. 

Ahead of the IPL 2021, Padikkal’s brilliant performance is only good news for RCB, who are yet to win the tournament.