Everyday I Was Learning Something New - Devdutt Padikkal Shares His Experience Of Playing Alongside Virat Kohli And AB De Villiers

Devdutt Padikkal had an impressive IPL 2020, his debut season, where the left-hander ended up as the leading run-scorer for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Playing for the first time in the biggest T20 league in the world, Devdutt Padikkal amassed 473 runs at an average of 31.53, outscoring teammates Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.

The 20-year-old credits his success to the learnings he gained from the two legends in the dressing room. The Kerala-born youngster says that he learned a lot of things from Kohli and de Villiers throughout the tournament. Devdutt Padikkal is awed by the manner both the stalwarts handle pressure, particularly in long tournaments such as the IPL, and wishes to instill those qualities in himself.

“I had an incredible outing at RCB last year. I got the chance to play all the games. Playing alongside Virat bhai and ABD and all other cricketers was great. It was an incredible experience. Every day I was learning something new from Virat and ABD. The way they carry themselves in the international tournaments and in IPL, which is a long tournament, is amazing. The way they handle the pressure and perform in every single game is something I wanted to inculcate. That helped me a lot,” Devdutt Padikkal told Times Of India.

Looking forward to scoring a good amount of runs and helping the team win the title: Devdutt Padikkal

Padikkal wishes to continue this form in IPL 2021 as well, and along with the new recruits, such as Kyle Jamieson and Glenn Maxwell, win RCB its maiden title. Unfortunately, he has tested positive for covid-19 and will miss the season opener against Mumbai Indians.

“The side is looking strong. We have star players. I had a huge learning (curve) last season and will aim to carry on the same show in the IPL too. Looking forward to scoring a good amount of runs for RCB and helping the team win the title,” the Karnataka opener added.