IPL 2026, RCB vs SRH: Virat Kohli not surprised by Devdutt Padikkal’s Bengaluru attack
Virat Kohli praised Devdutt Padikkal after his stellar performance to help Royal Challengers Bangalore (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 started their title defense in style.
Padikkal, who came in as an impact sub for Jacob Duffy, brought RCB under control by scoring a half-century in 21 balls. The left-handed batsman scored 61 runs in 26 balls with the help of seven fours and four sixes, as RCB achieved the target of 202 runs with 26 balls remaining.
IPL 2026, RCB vs SRH: Achievement: – highlight
Kohli praised Padikkal’s extraordinary innings and said that he wanted to keep him on strike from the beginning. Padikkal’s aggressive batting, which came after the dismissal of Phil Salt, did not give Sunrisers any scope to breathe in the first match of IPL.
Kohli told broadcasters after the match, “Excellent innings. Right from the start, I had planned to be aggressive in the powerplay, but when I saw him play, I just wanted to keep him on strike, hit the odd boundary here and there. He completely took the game away from the opposition.”
“I remember after hitting a six over mid-on on a slower ball I told him, just keep going, you are hitting the ball very well, keep going and take the game away from the opposition. We finished with 25-26 (26) balls, and we are going to increase the net run rate as well,” Kohli, who scored an unbeaten 69, said.
‘Sheer genius’
Padikkal entered the IPL on the back of a stellar Ranji Trophy season and scored 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 explosive innings, adding that his confident performance reflected his world-class talent and exceptional batting ability.
Kohli said, “His innings were tremendous. I have watched him closely and the skill he has is incredible. His timing, head position and balance were all world class in a brilliant domestic season with the red ball. I knew what he could do if he had the confidence and tonight was a display of his talent.”
Padikkal, Kohli and RCB will aim to maintain their winning streak in their next encounter against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Bengaluru on Sunday, April 5.
ipl 2026 | ipl schedule | ipl points table | ipl video | cricket news | live score
– ends