Bengaluru, Apr 7:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru mentor Dinesh Karthik believes it will be difficult to keep Devdutt Padikkal out of the Indian team for long, given the manner in which he is batting in the IPL following stellar domestic performances.
Padikkal starred in RCB’s big win against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday, scoring a blistering 50 off 29 balls.
Asked about Padikkal’s composed knock at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Karthik, who is also RCB’s batting coach, highlighted his composure during a tough initial phase before opening up.
“The first thing that stands out is his determination. On a pitch like this, when runs don’t come easily at the start, many batters try to force a big shot and end up giving their wicket away. Devdutt showed great courage to stay patient when the going was tough,” Karthik told Star Sports.
“Once he got that first boundary, you could see him switch gears. He’s playing proper cricketing shots and hitting the ball with distance,” Karthik added.