BENGALURU: Devdutt Padikkal’s rise in the ongoing IPL season has been marked not only by runs but also by a growing sense of awareness – of situations, bowlers and his game. After his definitive 27-ball 55 in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Friday, the southpaw pointed to a major factor behind his rise – the Karnataka captain.“Being the captain has definitely given me a different perspective on the game,” Padikkal said in the post-match press conference.“It made me think a lot more about how a bowler thinks, how captains think on the field, what they might do,” he added.This shift was evident in the way he constructed his innings alongside Virat Kohli. Padikkal, who entered the steep chase early, showed intent, picking moments to attack while ensuring RCB stayed ahead of the required pace.Padikkal believes the added responsibility has sharpened his decision-making. “It gives me a little bit more understanding of the situation I’m in and how I have to react,” he said, adding that the management role has helped him improve various aspects of his game. The result was a more complete T20 batter.However, his progress did not come overnight. Padikkal was quick to dismiss the narrative of a sudden transformation, instead calling his journey a work in progress. “The conversations around me being different have been going on for too long. This is who I am now,” he said. “You find things you need to work on and you keep getting better.”He admitted that there are technical differences between the formats, especially in the transition from red-ball cricket to white-ball cricket. “If you compare my Ranji Trophy bat with the bat here, you can clearly see the changes,” he added. But the foundation, he stressed, remains unchanged: “Confidence and confidence must remain the same.”The 25-year-old also highlighted the impact of sharing the dressing room with Kohli.For a young batsman making his own way, watching one of the greats of the game was instructive. “The biggest thing for me is his energy and intensity,” Padikkal said. “Even after achieving everything, he still gives 100 percent in every session. That kind of determination is very hard to find.”More than anything, it’s a relentless ride that left an impression. “When you see someone so passionate, it rubs off on everyone,” Padikkal added.Meanwhile, GT assistant coach Vijay Dahiya revealed that Kohli was disappointed not to reach a hundred despite winning the match by 8. “After the match (Kohli) was saying he could convert it to a hundred. That tells you about his mindset. He’s not playing to prove a point to somebody. It’s about the man in the mirror – he’s trying to be better than yesterday,” Dahiya said.
