Over the past year or so, I have put a lot of effort into becoming where I am in T20 cricket: Devdutt Padikkal

In terms of the Indian Premier League, Devdutt Padikkal appears to have finally returned to his batting form. One week after playing a pivotal anchoring knock against Rajasthan Royals, he came in as an Impact Player against Punjab Kings on Sunday, April 20, and hammered a brisk 61 off 35 deliveries to establish his dominance. He has only scored 79 runs in five games before these two innings. During IPL 2024, he played for the Lucknow Super Giants. Devdutt Padikkal had a forgettable season at the time, scoring just 38 runs in seven innings.

When asked how his batsmanship had improved, the southpaw said he was enjoying playing in the middle. Additionally, he disclosed that he was the first to accept responsibility for his previous decline in batting form. In order to regain his form, Devdutt Padikkal also acknowledged that he needed to reevaluate his performance and work hard.

“To be honest, nothing very noteworthy; I’ve been hitting fairly well this season. The most important thing is that I have enjoyed my hitting. I have put a lot of effort into getting to where I am in T20 cricket over the past year or so. It goes without saying that the last several years weren’t the best. To be honest, I had to simply start over and truly work on myself because I wasn’t good enough. I was the first to accept responsibility for that, and once you accept responsibility and realise that you weren’t good enough, I believe that’s when you can start improving,” Devdutt Padikkal said, as cited by Cricbuzz.

Andy and DK have been a huge help to me in gaining that clarity and structure: Devdutt Padikkal

The left-handed batsman emphasised how Andy Flower, the head coach, and Dinesh Karthik, the batting coach and mentor, helped him improve his game. He also emphasised how their knowledge has been helpful in preparing his batting strategy when he steps out in the middle.

“The final two to three months leading up to the IPL have been crucial for me, both technically and tactically, thanks to DK and Andy. Coming into the season, I found that their knowledge, their comprehension of bowlers’ thought processes, and the slight advantage it provides were all very significant. I feel that DK and Andy have really helped me achieve that structure and clarity in my batting, and it’s helped me plan my innings much better. In the IPL, everything moves so quickly that it’s crucial to have clarity in your mind before you bat,” Devdutt Padikkal continued.

Away from home, RCB has been playing really well. This season, they have won all five of their away games. Conversely, their domestic record has been the exact reverse. So far, they have lost every game they have played. On Thursday, April 24, the Rajat Patidar-led team will play the Rajasthan Royals at the Chinnaswamy.