‘Virat bhai’s only instruction was..’: Padikkal on Kohli’s advice during run chase against SRH in IPL 2026 season opener
Devdutt Padikkal was all smiles after Royal Challengers Bengaluru kicked off their 2026 Indian Premier League campaign with a resounding win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.The left-hander played a crucial role in the chase, blasting 61 off just 26 balls, the innings studded with four sixes and seven boundaries at a strike rate of 234.62. Alongside him, Virat Kohli remained unbeaten with 69 off 38 deliveries. The duo put together a quick stand of 101 runs in just 45 balls, helping the defending champions overhaul the 202-run target with 26 more balls to spare.
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Speaking to Star Sports’ Amul Cricket Live, Padikkal highlighted his approach during the chase and revealed the guidance he received from Kohli at the other end.
“It’s good to start the new season with a win, especially in Bengaluru. The Chinnaswamy Stadium holds a special place in our hearts, and we wanted to give something back to our fans who helped us win the trophy last year. When I came out to bat, Virat bhai’s only instructions were to keep the run rate high and put pressure on the bowlers. My job was to take risks while he chased,” he said.Padikkal explained that Kohli’s presence at the crease allowed him to play freely and take calculated risks.
Despite the early dismissal of Phil Salt, the duo ensured that the momentum would never let up, denying Hyderabad any chance of a comeback.“His presence took the pressure off me and left me playing freely. We knew that SRH’s bowling is not very strong, so we thought we could chase down the goal in a fluid manner. We lost Phil Salt early, but it was important to keep up the pressure, so that SRH didn’t have a chance to get back into the game.”
“We did it well and got the win,” Padikkal said.The youngster also credited head coach Andy Flower and his mentor Dinesh Karthik with shaping his T20 development, both technically and mentally, and helping him adopt a more attacking approach.“The credit for the development and improvement of my game goes to our head coach Andy Flower and our batting coach Dinesh Karthik Bhai. They worked really hard with me. It was not easy because there were a lot of things I needed to change.
It wasn’t just technical; It was a lot mentally too. “I needed to really believe that I could play this aggressive brand of cricket,” Padikkal said.“Over the last five-six years, T20 cricket has evolved a lot. When I first joined the Indian Premier League in 2020, the cricket we played was very different from what is being played now. So, it was important that I believed in myself and that I can do it. I feel Andy and DK helped me get there,” he added.Earlier in the evening, Sunrisers Hyderabad recovered well after a shaky start after 201/9. The early knock saw Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Nitish Reddy fall on the power play, but a strong counter-attack followed.Ishan Kishan led the attack with 80 off 38 balls, including eight fours and five sixes, while Aniket Verma scored a quick 43 off just 18 deliveries.
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For Bengaluru, Jacob Duffy (3/22) and Romario Shepherd (3/54) took three wickets each.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh and Suyash Sharma took one wicket each.In response, Kohli’s unbeaten knock stabilized the chase, while Padikkal’s explosive strike decisively turned the game around. Skipper Rajat Patidar added a quickfire 31 off just 12 balls, smashing three sixes and two fours, as RCB registered a four-wicket win.The win also saw Bengaluru record the fastest successful chase of 200-plus runs in IPL history, reaching 202 in just 15.4.