New Delhi: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their title IPL 2026 campaign in commanding fashion, and batsman Devdut Padikal has revealed the change in strategy behind his early success. With two wins from two matches, RCB sit at the top of the standings, displaying an improved batting style that mixes caution with calculated aggression.Speaking after the victory by 43 runs in the over. Chennai Super Kings In Bengaluru, Padikal explained that the team had consciously addressed their past batting weaknesses. The new strategy revolves around preserving wickets in the first half of the innings before going all-out in the later stages.‘Keep wickets then attack’Pedicel highlighted that the change in approach stems from lessons learned last season. “Last season also we had some games early on where we struggled and lost maybe three or four wickets and then it put us on the back foot,” he said.“We discussed in the middle of last year that we needed to make sure that when the wicket is behaving like this, you have to make sure you have wickets. Once the ball gets old, it’s a lot easier to bat on,” he added.The left-hander stressed that avoiding an early slump is key. “We had to make sure we weren’t three or four down from the 10-over mark. Once we managed to do that, we could go hard every ball. The way the whole unit has been batting since then has been unbelievable,” he noted.This approach has already paid dividends, with RCB posting big totals and maintaining pressure on the opposition bowlers through well-timed pace.Pedicle evolution and increased confidencePadikal, who has been in fine form with scores of 61 and 50 in the first two games, credited his improvement in white-ball formats to a conscious change in mentality and technique.“It took a lot of hard work and self-belief. It wasn’t easy to make that change because I had to change the foundation of the kind of cricket I wanted to play when I grew up,” he admitted.“The change was something I had to do on purpose, and the RCB support staff have been fantastic in guiding me in the right direction,” he added, highlighting the role of the team environment in his transformation.Power hitting balance and the Tim David factorWhile T20 batting has seen an increasing emphasis on power hitting, Pedicel believes the evolution is part of a natural progression. “Batting has gone to another level. Everyone is working hard to hit big sixes and fours. Now it is up to the bowlers to raise their game as well,” he said, adding that the situation could eventually balance the competition.Pedicel also had special praise for teammate Tim David, whose explosive 70 off 25 balls capped the Chennai attack. “We see him do that every day in practice,” he said. He is very clear about which bowler to target and when. This explanation makes a big difference.
