Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Devdutt Padikkal, right, with Virat Kohli. (AP photo) NEW DELHI: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru have started their IPL 2026 campaign with flying colours, with batsman Devdutt Padikkal revealing the tactical shift behind their early success. With two wins in two matches, RCB sit atop the table and display a refined batting approach that combines caution with calculated aggression.After their convincing 43-run win over Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru, Padikkal explained that the team had consciously addressed their past batting shortcomings. The new strategy revolves around keeping wickets in the first half of the innings before unleashing an all-out attack in the later stages.
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Devdutt Padikkal press conference: Chinnaswamy’s pitch, Tim David’s strength and RCB’s batting strategy ‘Keep the goals, then attack’Padikkal emphasized that the change in approach stems from lessons learned from last season. “Even last season we had a couple of games early on where we struggled and ended up losing maybe three or four wickets and then it put us on the back foot,” he said.“We had a conversation in the middle of last year that we needed to make sure that when the wicket behaves in that way, you have to make sure you have wickets in hand. Once the ball gets old, it’s a lot easier to bat,” he added.The left-hander emphasized that avoiding premature collapses is key. “We had to make sure we weren’t three or four at the 10-over mark. Once we did that, we were able to go hard on every ball. The way the whole unit has been batting since then has been unbelievable,” he noted.This approach has already paid off as RCB posted big totals and kept the pressure on the opposition bowlers through well-timed acceleration.Padikkala’s development and self-confidencePadikkal, who has been in fine form with scores of 61 and 50 in the first two matches, credited his improvement in the white-ball formats to a conscious shift in mindset and technique.“It’s a lot of hard work and confidence. It wasn’t easy to make this change because I had to change the fundamentals of the cricket I wanted to play growing up,” he admitted.“The change was something I had to do consciously and the RCB support staff did a great job of guiding me in the right way,” he added, stressing the role of the team environment in his transformation.Power balance and the Tim David factorWhile T20 batting has seen an increasing emphasis on power hitting, Padikkal believes the development is part of a natural evolution. “The batting has moved 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 conditions could eventually level the match.Padikkal also reserved special praise for teammate Tim David, whose explosive 70 off 25 balls dismantled Chennai’s attack. “We see him do that every day in practice. He’s clear about which pitcher to target and when. That clarity makes a huge difference,” he said.
