Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have started their title defense in IPL 2026 with pure dominance by winning two consecutive matches. Devdutt Padikkal is one of the batsmen of the team who is in absolutely excellent form, he has scored two half-centuries in two consecutive matches.
Till now RCB has played two matches and has exited the field as the winning team. IPL 2026 is still in its early stages, but as wise people have said, the morning shows the day. The morning is looking bright for both RCB and their Indian talent Devdutt Padikkal, who scored 50 off 29 balls against Chennai Super Kings and 61 off 26 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
New version of Devdutt Padikkal may trouble national team selectors
Only a few seasons ago, Padikkal was known as a technically sound batsman who was capable of performing in the longer formats. Now, he has a completely changed batsman. RCB mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik is among those who kept a close eye on the batsman’s development.
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Speaking on RCB media, the former keeper-batsman mentioned that there are a lot of differences between Devdutt Padikkal and this version of Devdutt Padikkal. Karthik believes that it will be very difficult for the selectors of the Indian national cricket team to ignore the fiery form of their talented player.
I don’t think Team India can ignore: Dinesh Karthik
“Devdutt Padikkal coming in 2025 is very different from the Devdutt Padikkal who left RCB earlier. He has learned to handle everything that comes with playing in the IPL and the way he has adapted his game is very impressive,” Karthik said.
Dinesh Karthik claimed, “If he continues in this great form, I don’t think Team India can ignore him in all formats. He is batting at a level which is a bit above many other players.”
Padikkal himself told how he changed his batting
This 25 year old batsman himself is well aware of the changes in his batting. Padikkal said that when he was younger, a raw talent in the Indian Premier League, he was a little afraid of taking risks. Now, as he has matured, he has learned to act as per the circumstances.
“In 2020-2021, as a young kid I was very scared. I think over the years I have learned to handle everything that happens in the IPL. At this point, I have reached a stage of maturity where I understand what I need to do to perform at my best. And I feel a lot calmer and more collected and I am really happy with where I am and I am really enjoying my cricket,” IPL Said the influential batsman of 2025 winners.
“When I got the chance with RCB again (in 2025), I decided that there are a lot of things that I need to change, I need to really commit to working on those things, no matter what the result is.”
He further added, “It’s not easy when you have grown up playing a certain way, so I could have easily accepted that I would be limited to Test cricket, but it was important for me to come out of that comfort zone and try to adapt.”
Devdutt Padikkal scored 247 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 150 for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2025 season. This season he has also performed brilliantly with the bat.
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