New Delhi, March 29 Batting alongside Virat Kohli in a run chase is less about pressure and more about clarity, a sentiment Devdutt Padikkal summed up after Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s commanding win to open their IPL 2026 campaign.
For Padikkal, Kohli’s presence at the other end influences how a chase develops, giving him the freedom to play more openly while feeling confident that the pace is managed.
In a format where chasing 200-plus totals often demands both aggression and composure, Padikkal’s fluent 61 off 26 balls was perfectly complemented by Kohli’s unbeaten 69, as RCB cruised past Sunrisers Hyderabad with ease. The left-hander pointed to Kohli’s unmatched game awareness in such situations, explaining how it simplifies decision-making and allows his partners to slot naturally into the rhythm of the chase.
"It feels great, you know. We missed playing here. It's good to come back to the Chinnaswamy Stadium and as usual the fans were amazing and when you have that support behind you, it's always great to start with a win,” Padikkal said in a video shared by IPL.
While RCB’s batting dominated headlines, Padikkal was quick to acknowledge the impact of debutant Jacob Duffy, whose 3-22 helped restrict SRH despite a strong total.
"It's not easy for someone to come in in their first game and really make an impact, especially in a stadium like Chinnaswamy, where you can go for runs and get flustered pretty quick,” he said.
Padikkal highlighted the importance of early wickets against a dangerous SRH top order, crediting Duffy’s discipline and courage under pressure, saying, “So, for someone like him, the way he showed up and the courage he showed, the lengths he bowled, especially against their top three, they have a formidable top three, so it was really important that we started well and got a few wickets up front and he did that job for us.”
Padikkal’s innings was marked by fearless strokeplay, but he attributed his form to clarity in preparation and sticking to a consistent approach rather than chasing moments.
“I think I've been batting really well. So, when you have that confidence and the runs behind you, it always gets a little easier when you go out there. But at the same time, every game is a new game and you have to stick to your processes and stick to things that have been working for you over the last couple of years and that's what I look to do,” he stated.
If Padikkal provided the early surge, it was Kohli’s unbeaten 69 that anchored the chase, a presence the young opener believes simplifies the task at the other end.
“Especially in chases, when you're batting alongside Virat, it makes your job a whole lot easier because he knows the tempo that's required to chase down totals and when you have that from one end, it makes your game a lot easier because you know the tempo that you need to go to at that point. So, just having him alongside me through all these chases so far in the last couple of years has been great,” Padikkal mentioned.
--IANS
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