Devdutt Padikkal stranded at 99! RCB batter puts on a show in Karnataka Premier League; misses out on milestone - Watch

Devdutt Padikkal fell agonisingly short of a century but still produced a match-winning innings as Hubli Tigers secured a thumping win over Mangalore Dragons in the Karnataka Premier League on Tuesday. Opening the innings as captain, Padikkal was in commanding touch from the outset. The 25-year-old carved boundaries at will, striking ten fours and five sixes in a dominant display that left the opposition bowlers with no answers.

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With a century in sight, the left-hander ran out of time. On the penultimate delivery of the innings, he chose to take a single, moving to 99. His partner Manvanth Kumar then cleared the ropes off the final ball, leaving Padikkal stranded one run short of the milestone.

Despite the missed personal landmark, the effort was enough to set up a huge total. Hubli Tigers later bundled out Mangalore Dragons for just 100, sealing victory by 110 runs in one of the most one-sided contests of the tournament so far. The innings also came as a timely reminder of Padikkal’s ability. After managing only 247 runs in 10 matches during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title-winning IPL 2025 campaign, the left-hander’s KPL performance offered fans a glimpse of his best form.

Social media was quick to hail his unbeaten 99, with clips of his elegant strokes and clean hitting widely shared. For Padikkal, the century may have slipped away, but his near-perfect knock was enough to underline his value as both leader and batter for the Hubli Tigers.