Devdutt Padikkal hailed Virat Kohli's century in Raipur, propelling RCB to the top of the IPL 2026 points table.
Moments during Virat Kohli's century in Raipur left even his batting partner seemingly glued to the stands. Devdutt Padikkal called it 'incredible to watch' after Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased 193 against Kolkata Knight Riders to claim the IPL 2026 summit. The partnership at the crease provided Padikkal with front-row views of some exceptional strokes. 'I think I had the best seat in the house. Some of the shots he played were simply remarkable,' Padikkal remarked.
Virat Kohli entered the match after two consecutive ducks—a drought he'd faced only once before in the IPL. From the first ball against KKR, his intent to dominate was unmistakable. Despite telling Padikkal he felt 'a bit nervous,' the evening’s training session showed no lingering tension. 'Obviously, coming into this game after two ducks is never easy, and he showed why he is who he is,' Padikkal noted. 'To not have that on his mind and to just go out there and bat the way he does was something incredible. Really happy to see him get those runs.'
Devdutt Padikkal highlighted the composed nature of their successful pursuit, especially Kohli’s unruffled approach. Their 92-run second-wicket stand unfolded in just 59 balls, with Padikkal stressing they never focused on 'anchoring.' By the time he fell for 39 off 27, RCB had already powered to 129 for 2 in 13.1 overs. 'It was more about making sure we took the game to a certain stage where we felt the rest of our batting line-up would be in a comfortable position,' he explained.
Padikkal and Kohli agreed before stepping out that elongating their partnership was the priority. He recalled early games where early wickets derailed their chases, making today’s strategy vital. 'Over the last couple of games, we've been in situations where we lost a couple of wickets early, and never stitched partnerships together,' Padikkal said. 'I think it was important today that once I went in, both of us spoke about elongating that partnership for as long as possible and then taking it from there.'
Devdutt Padikkal explained that Kohli’s approach to repeated failures stays unwavering. 'Honestly, it [the two ducks] doesn't really change anything,' he said, reflecting Kohli’s view that no one scores in every match. 'You've played so much cricket in your career. Everyone who is out here comes to perform. No one is going to score in every single game. That's part of the game, and he understands that better than anybody else.'
From the middle, Padikkal and Kohli quickly realized the Raipur pitch differed from Mumbai’s uneven surface. 'It was a pretty good wicket, I thought,' Padikkal said, noting early swing for pacers before conditions settled. Their target-setting hinged on simple logic—any total under 200 felt chaseable given today’s batting depth. 'When we went out there, we understood it was all about making sure we got one boundary an over,' he added.
Padikkal emphasized the importance of comfortable chases with a lineup stacked with firepower. 'When you have a batting lineup like we do, it's important that we make sure these chases are done comfortably,' he said. RCB’s approach yielded a smooth victory, making the target look easier than the effort required. 'I think we managed to do that today, and it looked much easier than it probably was.'
Devdutt Padikkal believes batting after fielding gives him a sharper game rhythm compared to coming in cold. 'Definitely, fielding before batting helps,' he noted, explaining how early time on the field reveals bowlers’ angles and batters’ hitting zones. 'If you come straight into a game to bat, it probably takes a bit of time to understand the pace of the game, the pace of the pitch, and the angles.' He enjoys staying active in the field rather than watching from the dugout.