Royal Challengers Bengaluru mentor Dinesh Karthik believes it will be difficult to keep Devdutt Padikkal out of the Indian team for long, given the manner in which he is batting in IPL 2026 following stellar domestic performances. Padikkal starred in RCB's big win against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday, scoring a blistering 50 off 29 balls. Asked about Padikkal's composed knock at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Karthik, who is also RCB's batting coach, highlighted his composure during a tough initial 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," Karthik told Star Sports.
Karthik also suggested that Padikkal's current form would make it difficult for the BCCI selection committee to keep him out of the Indian team for much longer.
"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.
Padikkal's innings featured five boundaries and two sixes, helping RCB reach a mammoth 250/3 after Tim David smashed a 25-ball 70.
RCB won the match by 43 runs, consigning CSK to their third successive defeat.
Former India captain Anil Kumble shared his thoughts on CSK's early challenges in the tournament.
"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 MS 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.
During his blazing swashbuckling knock, David struck eight sixes and three fours, getting his runs at a strike rate of 280.
Karthik reflected on David's powerful innings and said, "He has a very smooth swing, long levers and all the ingredients required to hit big shots.
"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." RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, who led the team to its maiden title last season, was not to be left behind in the run feast, chipping in with 48 off just 19 balls, and Kevin Pietersen termed the knock a "turning point" of the match.
"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.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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