Batting with Kohli made a big difference in my growth: Padikkal

Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Devdutt Padikkal says opening alongside Virat Kohli in his debut IPL season helped him understand the art of constructing an innings, a lesson that continues to shape his approach in T20 cricket.

Padikkal, who burst onto the scene with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2020 IPL, said watching Kohli operate from close quarters gave him invaluable insight early in his career.

“When I made my IPL debut with RCB in the 2020 season, I felt ready. I had a solid run of scores in domestic cricket behind me,” Padikkal said during an interaction on JioStar.

“And batting with Virat Kohli, one of the greatest in the game, was a huge help. At that age, watching him build an innings gave me so much clarity and understanding of how to construct a knock. That made a big difference in my growth,” he added.

The Karnataka batter said his subsequent stints with Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants, where he batted in multiple positions, broadened his understanding of the game.

“Moving from being a dedicated opener to batting in different positions lower down the order was challenging, especially at a young age. But those experiences with Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants shaped me into the player I am today,” he said.

“Batting at different numbers taught me how to read situations, construct innings under pressure, and adapt my game.”

Padikkal admitted the 2024 IPL season tested him mentally, but said the difficult phase eventually became a turning point in his career.

“The 2024 IPL season was a tough one. Bouncing back from a difficult season is never easy. During that season, a lot was going on in my head,” he said.

“You must go through the phase, accept it, and figure out how to come out better. Once the season ended, I knew exactly what I had to work on.”

The left-hander credited RCB mentor Dinesh Karthik and head coach Andy Flower for helping him tweak both his technique and mindset after his return to RCB.

“I made several changes to my batting technique with the help of Dinesh Karthik and Andy Flower. I needed to adjust a few things to shift from red-ball to white-ball cricket,” he said.

“Mentally, I had to bring more intent into my game. I needed to go out with the mindset of looking to score off every ball. Once I did that, the results started showing.”

Padikkal said RCB’s batting depth has allowed top-order players to attack more freely in an evolving T20 landscape.

“Having a powerful and deep batting lineup at RCB is a luxury. When you know the batting order is strong all the way down, it gives you extra confidence to play freely at the top,” he said.

“You have to be ready to sacrifice your wicket if it helps the team score an extra 20 or 30 runs quickly.”

Padikkal also hailed teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for his extraordinary ball-striking ability.

“What Vaibhav Sooryavanshi does is truly unique. At his age, to have that kind of power and explosiveness in his batting is special,” he said.

“He is a rare talent, and what he does is incredible.”