I have really worked hard on getting to where I am in T20 cricket over the last year or so: Devdutt Padikkal
Padikkal's recent 35-ball 61-run knock against PBKS was his first half-century in 14 IPL innings.
Devdutt Padikkal seems to have finally got back to form with the bat as far as the Indian Premier League is concerned. Coming in as an Impact Player against Punjab Kings on Sunday, April 20, he struck a breezy 61 off 35 deliveries to stamp his authority a week after playing a crucial anchoring knock against Rajasthan Royals. Prior to these two innings, he had only scored 79 runs in five games. He was with Lucknow Super Giants during IPL 2024. Padikkal had a season to forget back then; registering only 38 runs in seven innings.
On being asked about his turnaround with the bat, the southpaw responded that he was relishing spending time in the middle. He also shared that he was the first one to take accountability in relation to his dip in batting form in the past. Padikkal also admitted that he had to reassess his game and put in the hard yards to come back to form.
"Nothing really special to be honest, I have been batting pretty well this season. I have enjoyed my batting, that's the most important part. Over the last year or so, I have really worked hard on getting to where I am in T20 cricket. Obviously, the previous couple of years weren't ideal, it wasn't great. I wasn't up to the mark and I was the first one to take responsibility for that and once you take that responsibility and understand that you weren't good enough, I think that's where you can then start getting better and that's all that it took to be honest, I had to just go back to the drawing board and really work on myself," stated Padikkal, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
DK and Andy have really helped me getting that structure and clarity: Padikkal
The left-handed batter stressed on the roles Dinesh Karthik (batting coach and mentor) and Andy Flower (head coach) played in helping him with his game. He also highlighted how their expertise has been valuable in terms of planning how he bats while stepping out in the middle.
"Definitely with DK and Andy, the last 2-3 months before the IPL have been really important for me, not just technically, we have made some changes tactically too. The knowledge that they have, the understanding of how bowlers think and that kind of knowledge and that little bit of extra edge that it gives you was something really important for me coming into the season. It's helped me plan my innings a lot better and I feel in the IPL, it's very important that you have clarity in your head once you go out there to bat because everything is very fast-paced, so I feel DK and Andy have really helped me getting that structure and clarity in my batting," added Padikkal.
RCB have been in fine form away from home. They have won all five of their games on the road this season. On the other hand, their track record at home has been the complete opposite. All of their games so far have ended in defeat. The Rajat Patidar-led side next face Rajasthan Royals at the Chinnaswamy on Thursday, April 24.
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