'You need a swashbuckler at the top': Kris Srikkanth urges RCB to open with Devdutt Padikkal
Former India captain Kris Srikkanth suggests Jacob Bethell should bat in the middle order for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, advocating for Devdutt Padikkal to open alongside Virat Kohli. Srikkanth believes this change will address RCB's lack of an explosive top-order presence and bolster their middle order, which has struggled against quality bowling.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are set to face Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow today, with Phil Salt still recovering from injury. Former India captain Kris Srikkanth believes that Devdutt Padikkal should open alongside Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell, who has been opening in Salt’s absence, should instead bat in the middle order. Bethell’s role this season has become a major talking point in the cricketing world.
After being benched for the first six matches despite arriving on the back of an impressive ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, Bethell finally got his opportunity following Salt’s injury. However, in three matches so far, he has managed only 39 runs at a strike rate of 150. Srikkanth feels RCB are missing an explosive presence at the top of the order.
“Salt brought the demolishing factor. Other teams, with players like Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head or Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, bring that demolition factor, which RCB lacks. Salt was the one who brought that attacking structure for them.
You need a swashbuckler at the top, and that is missing,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel, ‘Cheeky Cheeka’. He also suggested that Devdutt Padikkal should open alongside Virat Kohli, with Bethell moving to the middle order. “Maybe Padikkal should open for them against LSG, and Bethell can come into the middle order.