RCB, who are yet to win the IPL, beat MI by 12 runs at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. “Batting with Virat is a pleasure
RCB’s Devdutt Padikkal during his 37 against MI at Wankhede on Monday. Pic/Atul Kamble
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) top-order batsman Devdutt Padikkal (37 off 22, 2x4, 3x6), who added 91 runs for the second wicket with opener Virat Kohli (67 off 42, 8x4, 2x6) to help the team set a huge target of 222 against MI, said he enjoyed batting with the former India and RCB skipper.
RCB, who are yet to win the IPL, beat MI by 12 runs at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. “Batting with Virat is a pleasure. He’s done this over and over again for so many years. So, that’s the level of consistency that you aim for as a young cricketer playing the IPL. He [Kohli] makes it look easy, but it isn’t that easy to be honest, to come in every single year and get above 400-500 runs. As youngsters in the team, we are looking to learn from him,” Padikkal told reporters during a post-match press conference on Monday.
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Padikkal, 24, who earlier played for RCB in the 2020 and 2021 editions, shifted base to the Rajasthan Royals in the next two years. Before making a comeback to RCB this year, he represented Lucknow Super Giants in IPL-17. Padikkal, who has scored 1,637 runs in 68 IPL matches, admitted it’s a challenge to play for different teams. “It’s definitely challenging when you’re not settled in any side. As a 21-year-old, I was in RCB and when I made the move to another franchise, it was a little uncomfortable, obviously,” he remarked.
Padikkal replaced leg-spinner Suyash Sharma (0-32) as the Impact Player. He termed it “boring” to be left out during the team’s fielding innings. “Honestly, it’s [Impact Player rule] not ideal. I’ve always enjoyed fielding and that’s something I’ve always wanted to do in every single game. I feel I can make that difference when I’m on the field. But the team is set up in such a way that I have to sit out and we have some great fielders on the ground even then. It is a rule that they feel helps the game. Hopefully, I can eventually start fielding again because it’s pretty boring sitting out and watching,” he said.
Padikkal revealed why left-arm pacer Yash Dayal
(2-46), who disturbed MI opener Rohit Sharma’s furniture in the second over of their innings, was introduced early into the attack. “I don’t attend the bowlers’ meeting, but I’m aware that a lot of left-hand pacers have bowled to Rohit in the past and had success against him. So, I’m sure that was the thinking behind that move,” he concluded.
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