My Best Innings So Far in This IPL: RCB's Devdutt Padikkal
The left-hander described the innings as his finest effort in the tournament so far
Bengaluru: Devdutt Padikkal termed his innings against Gujarat Titans as his best performance of the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026, while also praising Virat Kohli for his unmatched intensity and influence on the team.
Speaking at the post-match press conference after Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s comfortable win, Padikkal highlighted a key aspect that made his knock stand out—his six-hitting ability.
“The biggest plus for me is the number of sixes I hit... I hit six sixes, and that's not something which is very common for me,” Padikkal said. “So the fact that I was able to hit six sixes was quite special,” he added.
The left-hander described the innings as his finest effort in the tournament so far. “Probably so far in the IPL this was my best innings,” he said.
Padikkal also spoke about the impact of sharing the field with Kohli, underlining the senior batter's relentless work ethic and passion despite his achievements.
“I think the biggest thing for me is his energy and intensity... every single game, every single net session,” Padikkal said, adding that Kohli's commitment remains unwavering.
“Although he's achieved everything... he still continues to give his 100% in every single practice session and every single match,” he noted, calling such dedication rare at the highest level.
Padikkal said Kohli's drive and passion have a ripple effect within the squad. “When you see someone so driven... it really rubs off on everybody in the side,” he said, adding that Kohli's energy is helping elevate the entire team.
Chasing 206, RCB suffered an early setback as GT pacer Mohammed Siraj dismissed opener Jacob Bethell, reducing the side to 26/1 in three overs.
However, the rest of the top order responded well. Kohli’s 44-ball 81 set the tone, while Padikkal smashed 55 off 27 balls. The duo stitched together a 115-run stand in just 59 balls, keeping the chase on track.
After their dismissals, the game tightened in the middle overs as Rashid Khan and Manav Suthar picked up key wickets, leaving RCB at 175/5 after 16 overs.
RCB then lost Rajat Patidar (8) and Jitesh Sharma (10), increasing the pressure with 31 runs needed from the final four overs.
All-rounder Krunal Pandya rose to the occasion with an unbeaten 23 off 12 balls, taking 15 runs from the 18th over. Tim David supported with an unbeaten 10 off nine deliveries.
In the 19th over, Krunal sealed the win by pulling a short ball from Jason Holder for a single, as RCB reached 206/5 in 18.5 overs.
The victory earned RCB two crucial points, moving them to second place in the IPL 2026 standings with 10 points from seven matches, including five wins and two losses.
