# Devdutt Padikkal century puts selection pressure on Sai Sudharsan 2026-08-16T18:36:52+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Devdutt Padikkal scored his maiden Test century, 167, in the first Test in Galle, making his return to the Indian team after two years. Padikkal replaced Sai Sudharsan, who failed to get fit in time for the match. The innings has put Sudharsan under pressure, according to former India cricketer Aakash Chopra. Chopra said on his YouTube channel that Sudharsan had chances but could not secure his place, and that Padikkal is 'almost making himself undroppable'. The selectors will face a difficult choice if Padikkal scores big in the second Test as well, Chopra added. The Hindu reports that Padikkal's selection came after a strong domestic and IPL season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he scored 464 runs. India will play two Tests in New Zealand later this year. The series is crucial for the World Test Championship. Chopra questioned whether the selectors will turn back to Sudharsan or invest in Padikkal if he continues his form. ## Coverage - timesnownews.com - thehindu.com This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-18T03:31:19+00:00. Tags: Aakash Chopra, Devdutt Padikkal, India cricket team, Sai Sudharsan, Test cricket Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/devdutt-padikkals-167-puts-sai-sudharsan-under-pressure-says-aakash-chopra/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/devdutt-padikkals-167-puts-sai-sudharsan-under-pressure-says-aakash-chopra/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/