Virat Kohli was full of praise for Devdutt Padikkal, who came out firing to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) start their IPL 2026 campaign with a win. On Saturday, March 28, RCB defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and began their title defence in style.
Padikkal, coming in as an Impact Sub for Jacob Duffy, raced to a 21-ball fifty, putting RCB in control. The left-hander scored 61 off 26 balls, hitting seven fours and four sixes, as RCB chased down 202 with 26 balls to spare.
IPL 2026, RCB vs SRH: Scorecard – Highlights
Kohli lauded Padikkal’s exceptional innings, saying he wanted to keep him on strike from the start. Coming in after Phil Salt’s dismissal, Padikkal’s aggressive batting left the Sunrisers with little room to breathe in the IPL opener.
“Outstanding knock. Right from the word go, I had planned to be aggressive in the powerplay, but when I saw him play, I just wanted to keep him on strike, hitting the odd boundary here and there. He completely took the game away from the opposition,” Kohli told the broadcasters after the match.
“I remember telling him after that shot over mid-on off the slower ball for six, just keep going, you’re hitting the ball so well, keep pushing and take the game away from the opposition. We finished with 25–26 (26) balls to spare, and we are going to get a boost in net run rate as well,” Kohli, who scored an unbeaten 69, said.
‘SHEER TALENT’
Padikkal entered the IPL on the back of an impressive Ranji Trophy season, scoring 543 runs at an average of 60.33, including a top score of 232 against Uttarakhand. Kohli said he was not surprised by Padikkal’s blistering knock, adding that his confident display reflected his world-class talent and exceptional batting ability.
“His knock was tremendous. I’ve seen him up close, and the skill he possesses is incredible. Coming off a great domestic season with the red ball, his timing, head position, and balance were all world-class. I knew what he could do if confident, and tonight was just a display of his sheer talent,” Kohli added.
Padikkal, Kohli, and RCB will aim to carry their winning momentum into their next clash against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday, April 5, in Bengaluru.
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