Devdutt Padikkal is tired of hearing the same old grouse. “T20 is increasingly becoming a batsman’s game.” He retorts: “It is just that the batting in this tournament has gone up another level.I think everyone is working so hard to hit those big sixes and fours,” he says.
Similarly, he says, bowlers should elevate their levels. “When you take your batting to another level it’s now the bowler’s job to really follow that and try to you know take their game up,” he says, after RCB’s crushing win over CSK.
He then used RCB’s bowlers as an example. “I feel we still have some really quality bowlers who are doing the job. You know we have gotten them all out and restricted them under 210 which is pretty good especially in the Chinnaswamy. So yeah I’m very confident that all the bowlers will show up,” he says, after two cracking half centuries in as many games,
As both captain and batsman, Padikkal has been making the step-up. He attributed it to hard work and self-belief. “It wasn’t easy initially to make that change because it was something that I had to really change from the foundation that I had in terms of the type of cricket I wanted to play growing up,” he explains
“So this is something that I had to make consciously the change I had to make consciously and RCB and the whole support staff have been really great in guiding me in the right way,” he says.
He aligns with the franchise’s bravado approach, where batsmen try to hit from the first ball and is relentless in their onslaught. “When you have such explosive batting power to come I think it makes your job very clear. You know you have to make sure that you keep the momentum going as much as possible. Today obviously was a little bit different because of the way the wicket played but in general having such explosive batting all through our lineup makes my job particularly easier for sure,” he says.
The blossoming of Tim David, who cuffed a ferocious 25-ball 70 not out against CSK, hitting eight sixes, has given the defending champions a powerful cutting edge. He waxed eloquent on him. “We have seen him do this day in and day out in practice sessions. Every ball he faces he’s trying to hit them for a six. Especially in the phase of the game that he comes into bat, that’s his sole role. He’s done that so well over the last few years,” he says.
“It all comes down to practise at the end of the day because he’s so confident in his technique and the areas that he wants to hit. When he goes out there he’s very clear and he understands which bowler he needs to target, where and when he needs to hit. Once you have those plans in place and once you have that clarity, it makes your job a lot easier,” he adds.
Although a different batsman, Padikkal tries to pick cues from the Singapore-born Australian batsman. “I wish I could hit anywhere close to what he hits like but yeah just looking at the technique that he has you can obviously try and pick up things. If you can emulate that confidence, it augurs well for the whole team. The confidence translates to everyone in the team as well,” he says.
