Outstanding knock – Virat Kohli on Devdutt Padikkal’s sensational innings
RCB made light work of what was formidable total on the board, chasing down 202 in just 15.4 overs and blowing away the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 season opener. Had it not been for a slight slowdown in the middle after Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma fell on successive deliveries, it could have been a quicker chase. Despite midway challenges, Virat Kohli’s steady knock ensured RCB encountered no hiccups.
While Kohli stayed unbeaten at the other end, anchoring the innings and waiting for the right time to accelerate, Devdutt Padikkal’s blast of 61 off just 26 balls took the game away from SRH. Padikkal’s whirlwind knock at the top was more than enough to take the sting out of the chase and his partnership with Kohli was built with tremendous audacity.
Talking at the post-match presentation about his partnership with Devdutt Padikkal as the duo added 101 runs from just 45 balls, Kohli said, “Outstanding knock. I mean, right from the word go, I had plans of going aggressive in the powerplay. But when I saw him play, I was like, just keep putting him back on strike and pick the odd boundary here and there. He completely took the game away from the opposition. I even told him, that shot he hit off the slower ball over mid-on for six, at that moment I said, just keep going.”
He also revealed what he told DDP in the middle, adding, “You’re hitting the ball amazingly well, just keep pushing and take the game away from the opposition. If we finish with 25-26 balls to spare, we’ll also benefit in terms of net run rate.”
Kohli concluded by adding more epithets to describe Padikkal’s innings, stating, “His knock was tremendous. I’ve seen him at close quarters, the skill he has and now he’s applying it. This is also at the back of a great domestic red-ball season. His timing, head position, balance, absolutely world-class. I know what he can do with the bat when he’s confident, and tonight was a display of his sheer talent.
