Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated the Ishan Kishan-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the first match of IPL 2026 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 28.
While chasing 202 runs, Devdutt Padikkal came out to bat at No.3 and played a remarkable innings. He blasted 61 runs off 26 balls, with 7 fours and 4 sixes.
"(Padikkal's knock) Outstanding knock. I mean, right from the word go, I had plans of going aggressive in the powerplay. But when I saw him play, I was like, just keep putting him back on strike and pick the odd boundary here and there. He completely took the game away from the opposition. I even told him, that shot he hit off the slower ball over mid-on for six, at that moment I said, just keep going," Virat Kohli said.
I wasn’t playing shots that I don’t usually play - Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli himself looked in great touch and smashed 69 runs off 38 balls and while talking about his knock, stated that playing ODI cricket helped him maintain his momentum. He asserted:
"So I knew as long as I have the rhythm, and I’ve put enough work physically behind the scenes with my fitness, things should come together nicely. And yeah, tonight was another chance to start strong and build on this."
Whenever I come back to play, it’s 120%. I’m not coming back underprepared - Virat Kohli
"The kind of scheduling that we’ve had over the last 15 years and the amount of cricket I’ve played, for me, there was always a risk of getting burnt out rather than being undercooked.
Also Read: IPL Points Table 2026: Updated Standings, Orange Cap, Purple Cap After RCB vs SRH Match 1
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