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Batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik was full of praises for top-order batter Devdutt Padikkal after the latter's well-composed knock during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's clash against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings in Match 11 of IPL 2026 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Karthik was impressed by Padikkal, who scored 50 off 29 in the highly anticipated fixture.

According to the batting coach, what sets the ace batter apart from his peers is the kind of determination he has. He thinks that Padikkal was courageous enough and did not lose his calm mindset to find the boundaries early on in the innings. He further said that the patience eventually paid off, as Padikkal picked up the pace of his innings, finally finishing with two sixes and five fours in a knock that provided stability.

“The first thing that stands out is his determination. On a pitch like this, when runs don’t come easily at the start, many batters try to force a big shot and end up giving their wicket away. Devdutt showed great courage to stay patient when the going was tough. Once he got that first boundary, you could see him switch gears. He’s playing proper cricketing shots and hitting the ball with distance," Karthik said via JioStar after the match.

The former India wicketkeeper-batter is also of the opinion that the Karnataka batter will be banging on the doors of making it into the Indian team across multiple formats of the game. Karthik also cited his strong showings in the domestic circuit as a testament to the talent that the left-handed batter holds, even at a tender age of 25 years.

"If he continues batting like this, it will be difficult to keep him out of the Indian team for long. He has scored heavily in domestic cricket and we know he’s a quality player. What’s also impressive is the way he’s stepping up as a leader in the Karnataka dressing room. Even at 25, he contributes with his ideas and leadership, and that’s great to see,” Karthik concluded.

Courtesy of Padikkal's knock, RCB have managed their second win in as many games and have also moved to the top of the points table. They will play their next fixture on Friday, April 10, against Rajasthan Royals. This clash against the Riyan Parag-led side is scheduled to take place at the ACA Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.