Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s in-form batter Devdutt Padikkal struck a confident note ahead of their high-profile clash against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. Riding on back-to-back wins and his own strong form, Padikkal emphasised preparation and belief as key to sustaining their early momentum.
With both teams starting strongly in the Indian Premier League season, the encounter is shaping up to be an early test between two title contenders, with Rajasthan Royals currently sitting at the top of the table and unbeaten after three games, including two wins in Guwahati.
“We have our plans for every single bowler that we come up against,” Padikkal said during the pre-match press conference. “Definitely they have a good side, they are some exciting and talented young players, and I am sure it will be a difficult game. At the same time, we must trust our strengths and stick to our positive aspects for as long as possible.”
“We are coming into this game with some confidence,” he added. “We have really started well this season and hopefully it will be a good game for everyone to watch and hopefully we come out on top as well.”
Padikkal’s impressive start to the season, marked by consecutive fifties, has played a crucial role in Bengaluru’s victories over Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings. The left-hander credits his purple patch to a prolific domestic season, where he was among the standout performers for Karnataka. His consistency in both red-ball and T20 formats has translated seamlessly into the IPL, reinforcing his growing stature as a dependable top-order batter.
DOMESTIC FORM DRIVING CONFIDENCE
Padikkal highlighted how his performances in domestic cricket laid the foundation for his current success, pointing to the confidence gained from sustained run-scoring.
“I think it’s a lot to do with the confidence that you get out of scoring a lot of runs,” he said. “Coming into the season as well, the domestic season I got a lot of runs and I was really consistent with it. Whenever you have that performance behind you I think it gives you that confidence going into the season.”
Despite growing calls for a national team recall, Padikkal remains focused on contributing to his franchise’s campaign. With Bengaluru aiming to build on their unbeaten start, the young batter is prioritising team success while continuing to make a strong case for higher honours.
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