For Devdutt Padikkal, sharing the crease with the talismanic Virat Kohli during yet another masterclass was more than just a batting partnership as he described it as a chance to “witness greatness” from the closest possible distance after Kohli’s unbeaten century guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in Raipur on Wednesday.
Kohli smashed an unbeaten 105 off 60 balls as RCB chased down 193 with five balls remaining at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium. Padikkal contributed 39 runs and shared a crucial 92-run stand with Kohli for the second wicket to steady the chase.
Speaking after the match, Padikkal said batting alongside Kohli makes things easier because of the veteran’s ability to read pressure situations and control the tempo of the game.
“When you get to watch greatness in front of you, I think it’s something that you are really grateful for. And to have him in our team, in our dressing room, is really, really special. And hopefully, he continues to get a lot more runs for us. I think it just makes it so easy to bat with him. He understands the tempo of the game so well. He knows when you have to put pressure on the opposition and when we have to take a step back and make sure that we build that partnership.
“You know, especially in the last couple of games, we have been in a situation where we have lost a few wickets in clusters. And we had to make sure that chasing a target like this, we had wickets in hand so that we could really push towards the end and finish a comfortable game,” Padikkal added.
Kohli’s innings included 11 boundaries and three sixes as he registered his ninth IPL century. Padikkal was particularly impressed by one of Kohli’s straight drives during the chase.
“It was incredible to watch. I think some of the shots that he played today was unbelievable. Especially the straight shot that he hit off Anukul was something that only he can do. Hopefully, he continues to get a lot more runs for us,” he said.
The victory helped RCB reclaim the top spot on the points table ahead of the final phase of the league stage. Padikkal said maintaining momentum at this stage of the tournament was crucial.
“It definitely feels good. Every win is important, especially when you get down to the fag end of the tournament. It’s important that you carry that momentum and make sure that you’re winning games and getting into that habit of winning games comfortably and we did that,” he said.
Padikkal also spoke about how the team regrouped after a few disappointing results earlier in the season.
“We had a couple of tough games in between when we couldn’t quite get over the line. So we had to really, you know, regroup and make sure that we are doing the right things, the small things well. And I think the more and more we try to do that, I think we get those results. And that’s what today,” Padikkal mentioned.
RCB will next face Punjab Kings in Dharamsala, a venue that holds special memories for Padikkal after receiving his Test cap there. “Yeah, really looking forward to it. I’ve always enjoyed going to Dharamshala, obviously. I got my Test cap there. So it’s a really special place for me. So I’m really looking forward to it, and hopefully, we have another win coming our way,” he said.