Devdutt Padikkal has played a crucial role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB’s) away wins this season by playing impactful knocks. His latest knock of 61 helped RCB cruise to a seven-wicket win against Punjab Kings.

Padikkal, who scored his maiden fifty this season, credited the hard work he did with Dinesh Karthik and Andy Flower in the run-up to the IPL for his newfound confidence and consistency.

“I think DK (Dinesh Karthik) and Andy (Flower) have really helped me to get structure and clarity in my batting. Their tactical inputs, like understanding how bowlers would think, were really helpful for me to plan my innings a lot better. You need to have clarity in your head when you go out to bat because everything is so fast paced out there in the middle,’‘ he said.

: Kohli, Padikkal guide Royal Challengers Bengaluru to comfortable win over Punjab Kings

Padikkal, who came on to bat when Phil Salt was dismissed cheaply, said it was important to give the team a good start, and he was looking to build a good partnership with Virat Kohli.

“Chasing small totals can be tricky, so it was important to give the team a good start. When Salty got out, I was thinking of building a good partnership with Virat.

“When you have someone who is so experienced and calm under these circumstances, it makes your job very easy. He knows how to lead the team to victory, and that is really important when you are chasing down scores because it is easy to get carried away in such situations.

“He understands when to take the foot off the gas and when to press on it. That kind of calculation and tactical knowledge during the chase makes the job of the other batter very easy,’‘ Padikkal added.