Royal Challengers Bangalore won their third match of the 2020 IPL, a result that brought them to the top of the points table. Leading from the front was Captain Virat Kohli, who roared back to form with an important half century. Yuzvendra Chahal, the leg thrower, starred in the ball to hold the Rajasthan Royals at 154/6, after which Kohli’s half century saw RCB at home.
However, helping Kohli was a young man whose actions continue to rise. 20-year-old Devdutt Padikkal took off his third fifty in four games, and together the two batters had 99 runs for second field after RCB lost Aaron Finch narrowly. Padikkal’s fifty came out of 34 balls and he threw some beautiful shots before being thrown by Jofra Archer.
With 174 runs in four games, Padikkal has risen to fourth place in the list of the best players of the IPL 2020. Keeping the trend of the last editions of the IPL, it is safe to say that Padikkal has been the find of this IPL season. . Winning captain Kohli after the match revealed his first impressions of Padikkal, explaining how he learned that the youngster is a special talent.
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“I saw him play and I told Simon (Katich) that this guy has a great talent because he has scope, a great eye, a great balance. It is very difficult for bowlers to keep throwing the same lines and lengths against a southpaw. The way he hits … very clean shots. You don’t feel like he’s taking risks, ”Kohli said.
“I kept talking to him about building an entrance. If he can hit more time for the team, it will benefit us. Today it ran from 40 to 65 odd numbers, which helped the team eventually. He’s a smart guy, understands the game well and responds very well to comments. The more you keep learning, the better it is for RCB. “
On the match, Kohli was happy to have earned two more points, highlighting a good start to the season for RCB, a stark contrast to the way things had turned out last season. The game on the first day of IPL 2020 was a test one for all players, with the scorching heat of Abu Dhabi taking its toll on the players, but Kohli was glad to see a few more boxes ticked along the way.
“Two very important points,” Kohli said. “The type of game that we had last time is very important to support that performance. It was a bit hot, but coming from Dubai, this breeze seemed like a luxury to us because we have nothing in Dubai. We felt warmer and wetter there. Difficult day, against a good team, two points in the bag in a difficult field, we are very happy with the performance ”.
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