IPL 2026: Devdutt Padikkal attributes steady growth to state captaincy
BENGALURU: Devdutt Padikkal’s rise in the ongoing IPL season has been marked not just by runs, but by a growing sense of awareness — of situations, of bowlers, and of his game. After his defining 27-ball 55 in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans on Friday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here, the southpaw pointed to a significant factor behind his growth— captaining Karnataka. “Being a captain has definitely given me a different perspective on the game,” Padikkal said during the post-match press conference.
“It’s made me think a lot more about how a bowler thinks, how captains are thinking on the field, what they might look to do,” he added. That shift was evident in the way he constructed his innings alongside Virat Kohli. Walking in early in a steep chase, Padikkal showed intent, picking his moments to attack while ensuring RCB stayed ahead of the required rate.
Padikkal believes that added responsibility has sharpened his decision-making. “It gives me a little more understanding as to the situation that I’m in and how I need to respond,” he said, adding that the leadership role has helped him refine different aspects of his game. The result has been a more complete T20 batter.
His progress, however, has not come overnight. Padikkal was quick to dismiss the narrative of sudden transformation, instead framing his journey as a work in progress. “The conversations around me being different have been going on for far too long.
This is who I am now,” he said. “You find things you need to work on and you keep improving. ” He acknowledged that there are technical differences between formats, particularly when switching from red-ball to white-ball cricket.