Delhi: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman Devdutt Padikkal is looking in great form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. In the match played against Gujarat Titans (GT) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, he laid the foundation of the team’s victory by playing a quick inning of 55 runs in 27 balls. Bengaluru won this match by five wickets.

Hard work and confidence behind the comeback

After the match, Devdutt Padikkal spoke openly about his comeback. He told that he has worked hard continuously to reach this position. The trust he received from the team management strengthened his confidence. Also, in the recent past, he made changes in his technique, worked on them continuously and now its benefits are visible on the field.

Aggressive start in powerplay

Chasing the target of 205 runs, Royal Challengers Bangalore needed a fast start, which Padikkal did well. He batted aggressively against fast bowlers like Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj and maintained the run rate from the beginning. One brilliant shot in his innings was a lofted drive played over extra cover, which he described as his favorite shot of the day.

Responsible innings played with strategy

Padikkal emphasized on playing according to the situation instead of hurrying in his batting. He said that while chasing a big target, it is necessary to use powerplay properly so that the pressure is less in the subsequent overs. With this thinking, he intelligently scored runs against Prasidh Krishna and Rashid Khan in the middle overs and kept the team ahead in the match.

Virat Kohli took charge of the innings, victory became easy

While on one hand Padikkal gave a fast start, on the other hand Virat Kohli played a balanced innings of 81 runs and took the team strongly towards the target. Although Padikkal was out on Rashid Khan’s googly, by then he had laid a strong base for the team, which paid off in the end.

Expressed desire to become a finisher

After the match, Padikkal said that he wants to play the role of finishing matches for the team in future. He also believed that the team has explosive players like Tim David, Romario Shepherd and Jitesh Sharma in the lower order, which gives them freedom to play freely.