Royal Challengers Bengaluru mentor Dinesh Karthik feels Devdutt Padikkal would soon play for India as he has been giving consistent performances. The southpaw has hit two consecutive fifties in IPL 2026 and was in form during the domestic season as well. Padikkal scored 50 runs off 29 balls against the Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. Asked about the performance of Padikkal at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Karthik, who also holds the position of RCB’s batting coach, highlighted the batter’s composure before going for the shots.
“He is determined to do well. The pitch was not easy for batting, and when the batter tries to play big shots, they end up getting dismissed. Devdutt stayed patient when things were not in his favour,” Karthik told Star Sports.
Karthik mentioned that it would be difficult for the selectors to ignore him, considering his current form.
“Once he hit his first boundary, there was no looking back. He played proper shots and hit the ball deep. If he continues to perform like this, it will be tough to keep him out of the national team for a long time. He was among the runs in domestic cricket, and he is a quality player,” he added.
“He is a leader in the dressing room and contributes with his ideas. He led Karnataka, and it is great to see,” Karthik explained.
Padikkal hit five boundaries and two sixes as the defending champions reached 250 for 3 in their allotted 20 overs. RCB secures a 43-run win over CSK, their second in a row in the 19th season.
Karthik hailed Tim David for his knock of 70 runs. “We make sure he faces enough deliveries in the nets to keep him in touch. It is opposite in the match as he bats in the middle-order and more often than not gets fewer balls to make an impact. He has been the most consistent batter in the world,” he concluded.
Former India spinner Anil Kumble opined on Chennai’s struggles in the ongoing edition. “Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad are not firing, and it is a massive concern for the franchise. Chennai have lost three matches, and they need to improve quickly,” Kumble said.
