Kohli struck a commanding 105 not out off 60 deliveries as RCB chased down 193 with five balls to spare at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. Padikkal played a key supporting role with a fluent 39 during a decisive 92-run partnership for the second wicket that laid the foundation for Bengaluru\u2019s successful chase.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Reflecting on batting alongside Kohli, Padikkal said the veteran\u2019s understanding of pressure situations and game tempo makes partnerships around him far easier to build.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWhen 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. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cYou 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,\u201d Padikkal said in a video shared by IPL on Thursday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Kohli\u2019s innings was filled with trademark control and strokeplay, featuring 11 fours and three sixes as he registered his ninth IPL hundred. One particular straight drive during the chase left Padikkal especially impressed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The victory helped RCB reclaim the top spot on the points table and strengthened their momentum heading into the final phase of the league stage. Padikkal said building consistency at this stage of the tournament was crucial after a few setbacks in recent matches.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
RCB had suffered a couple of narrow defeats earlier in the campaign before bouncing back strongly against KKR, and Padikkal credited the side\u2019s focus on correcting small mistakes for the turnaround.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
RCB now turn their attention to their next fixture against Punjab Kings in Dharamshala, a venue Padikkal holds close for personal reasons after receiving his Test cap there. Looking forward to the game, the 25-year-old said, \u201cYeah, 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.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n