BENGALURU: Devdutt Padikal’s rise in the ongoing IPL season has been marked not just by runs, but by a growing sense of awareness of situations, bowlers and his game. After scoring 55 off 27 balls in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans at the KM Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Friday, the southpaw pointed to a key factor behind his rise to captain Karnataka.“Being the captain has definitely given me a different perspective on the game,” Padikal said during the post-match press conference.“It made me think a lot about how a bowler thinks, how the captain is thinking on the field, what he wants to do,” he added.
This change was evident in the construction of his innings as well. Virat Kohli. Early in the chase, Pedicel showed intent, choosing his moments to attack to ensure that RCB kept ahead at the required rate.Pedicel believes the added responsibility has sharpened his decision-making. “It gives me a little more understanding of the situation I’m in and how I need to respond,” he said, adding that the leadership role has helped him improve various aspects of his game. The result has been a more complete T20 batsman.However, his growth did not come overnight. Instead of framing his journey as a work in progress, Pedicle rejects the narrative of sudden change. “There has been talk of me being different for too long. Now I am who I am,” he said. “You find the things you need to work on and you keep improving.”He acknowledged that there are technical differences between the formats, especially when changing from red-ball to white-ball cricket. “If you compare my Ranji Trophy batting with here, you can clearly see the changes,” he added. But he emphasized that the foundation had not changed: “Self-esteem and confidence need to remain the same.”The 25-year-old also highlighted the impact of sharing the dressing room with Kohli.For a young batsman on his way, watching one of the game’s greats has been instructive. “The biggest thing for me is his energy and intensity,” Padikal said. “Even after everything he has achieved, he still gives 100 per cent in every session. That kind of commitment is very hard to find.”More than anything else, it’s the relentless drive that has left an impression. “When you see someone that passionate, it rubs off on everyone,” Padikal added.Meanwhile, GT assistant coach Vijay Dahiya revealed that Kohli is disappointed not to reach a century despite winning his matches. “After the game, he (Kohli) was saying he can turn it into a century. That tells you about his mentality. He’s not playing to prove a point to anybody. It’s about the person in the mirror trying to be better than yesterday.”
