Overview

• The India A multi-day series against Australia A begins on September 16 in Lucknow under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy.
• Padikkal said he intends to use the series to stake a claim for selection in India's upcoming home Tests against the West Indies.
• His IPL 2025 campaign ended early due to a hamstring injury, after which Mayank Agarwal replaced him at Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
• On his red-ball return, he scored 57 for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy semifinal to signal fitness and form.
• He has two Test caps for India, debuting in March 2024 against England before a second appearance in Perth later that year.