Having Kohli In The Team Is Like 'watching Greatness From Close Quarters': Padikkal

Having Kohli in the team is like 'watching greatness from close quarters': Padikkal (Image Source: IANS)

Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International: Devdutt Padikkal praised teammate Virat Kohli after the RCB stalwart’s unbeaten century powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026, saying sharing the dressing room with a player of Kohli’s stature was like ‘watching greatness’ from close quarters.

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’s successful chase.

Reflecting on batting alongside Kohli, Padikkal said the veteran’s understanding of pressure situations and game tempo makes partnerships around him far easier to build.

“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 said in a video shared by IPL on Thursday.

Kohli’s 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.

“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.”

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.

“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.

RCB had suffered a couple of narrow defeats earlier in the campaign before bouncing back strongly against KKR, and Padikkal credited the side’s focus on correcting small mistakes for the turnaround.

“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.

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, “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.”

Article Source: IANS