Given the way Devdutt Padikkal is hitting in IPL 2026 after his outstanding domestic cricket exploits last season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru mentor Dinesh Karthik thinks it will be challenging to keep him out of the Indian side for very long.
Padikkal, who scored a scorching 50 off 29 balls, was the highlight of RCB’s 43-run victory over Chennai Super Kings on Sunday.
When questioned about Padikkal’s calm knock at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Karthik—who also serves as RCB’s batting coach—emphasized his composure during a challenging starting phase before opening up.
“The first thing that stands out is his determination. On a pitch like this, when runs don’t come easily at the start, many batters try to force a big shot and end up giving their wicket away. Devdutt showed great courage to stay patient when the going was tough,” PTI quoted Karthik telling Star Sports.
“Once he got that first boundary, you could see him switch gears. He’s playing proper cricketing shots and hitting the ball with distance. If he continues batting like this, it will be difficult to keep him out of the Indian team for long. He has scored heavily in domestic cricket and we know he’s a quality player.
“What’s also impressive is the way he’s stepping up as a leader in the Karnataka dressing room. Even at 25, he contributes with his ideas and leadership, and that’s great to see,” Karthik added.
After Tim David destroyed the CSK bowlers with a scorching 25-ball 70, Padikkal’s innings, which included five boundaries and two sixes, helped RCB reach a massive 250/3.
After CSK’s consecutive losses, former India captain Anil Kumble offered his opinions on the team’s early difficulties in the competition.
“It’s a massive concern for Chennai. If your two most experienced batters, Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad, haven’t fired in the first three matches, it becomes a serious challenge. The rest of the batting line-up, apart from Samson and M S Dhoni, is quite young.
“You need at least one of your experienced batters to step up and deliver a big innings. Unfortunately, in the first three games, things haven’t gone Chennai’s way. It’s still early in the season, but they will need to tighten things up quickly,” Kumble said.
David hit eight sixes and three fours during his fiery, daring knock, scoring runs at a strike rate of 280.
“He has a very smooth swing, long levers and all the ingredients required to hit big shots,” Karthik remarked after considering David’s potent innings.
“For him, it’s about ensuring those elements remain consistent in practice. Because he bats in the middle order, he often gets fewer balls in a match compared to top-order batters. So, in the nets, it’s important that he faces enough deliveries and stays in a good rhythm. The rest of his game is already very strong. Over the last 12-18 months, he has been one of the most consistent batters in the world in this format.”
Kevin Pietersen described the knock as a “turning point” of the game. RCB captain Rajat Patidar, who guided the team to its first title the previous season, was not to be left behind in the run feast, contributing 48 off just 19 balls.
“You could see the confidence in Rajat Patidar. He wasn’t satisfied with just winning the title. He wanted to contribute more. Tim David’s innings was outstanding and filled with big sixes, but for me, Patidar’s knock was the turning point.
“When Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli and Phil Salt took some time to get going, Patidar came in and accelerated beautifully. The way he adapted to the conditions and found those sixes with such ease changed the momentum of the game,” Pietersen said.
