Devdutt Padikkal has shown this IPL season that he has shifted up a gear, becoming a key part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s batting line-up. Known earlier for his elegant strokeplay, he has added more range to his game this year, handling short-pitched bowling better and showing a more fearless intent from the outset. That change has allowed him to play with greater freedom in the powerplay and keep the scoreboard moving. Across his IPL career, he has maintained a strike rate of a little over 130, but this season he has taken it to another level, striking at 184.07. The improvement has given RCB a strong start in several innings and eased pressure on the middle order. His ability to adapt to different match situations has stood out, making him one of the more impactful batters in the tournament so far for Royal Challengers Bengaluru this season; his overall impact is clearly visible now.
In the last match against Gujarat Titans, he raised the tempo during the 206-run chase with a brisk half-century. He scored 55 off 27 balls, hitting 6 sixes and 2 fours. The innings underlined his clean striking and ability to clear the boundary at will. From the outset, he played with intent, putting pressure back on the bowlers and keeping the chase on track with a fearless, attacking approach that stood out in a high-pressure situation.
Former West Indies fast bowler and commentator Ian Bishop was left thoroughly impressed by Padikkal’s impact in a recent match, even in a game where Virat Kohli (81) and Sai Sudharsan (100) ended up with bigger scores. Bishop highlighted how Padikkal’s intent, power and ability to take on good deliveries stood out above the rest, describing his knock as one that completely blew him away despite the numbers on the scorecard favouring others.
“Devdutt Padikkal blew me away tonight and I’ve seen a lot. That blew me away, honestly. I’m sorry. What he’s done this season, the power, the aggression, the ability to get good balls away, I find it mind-blowing that no one come and tell me in the future that as a cricketer, you can’t improve at some stage during your career. This guy is done. DDP, top man, Virat was good, Sai good. Devdutt Padikkal, tonight, blew me away,” Ian Bishop said on ESPNCricinfo.
RCB move to second spot on points table
Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru climbed to second on the points table after a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans on Friday. Chasing 206, they got home with seven balls to spare, delivering a strong all-round performance that underlined their form this season. They now have 10 points, just one behind table-toppers Punjab Kings.
