BENGALURU: Even before Devdutt Padikkal sparkled in the last domestic season, the Royal Challengers Bangalore management decided to retain him ahead of the 2019 IPL auction. He had caught the eye of team director Mike Hesson with his batting exploits in the Karnataka Premier League last year, top-scoring with 310 runs. The Kiwi man was an analyst for Star in the local tournament.
And whenever talk about the southpaw came up, Hesson and head coach Simon Katich only had encouraging words to say about him. They walked the talk, handing the opener a debut, against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. And it was quite a sight, something that one has not been accustomed to. Bangalore opener Aaron Finch, who is primarily known for his big hits, was playing second fiddle to an uncapped Indian player Padikkal.
That may not have been the plan, but when Padikkal began to dominate proceedings, Finch was appreciating the special talent from the other end. He did not mind, taking singles and giving him the strike too. It was a batting exhibition from the 20-year-old, who looked at home from the first few balls he faced. And the Australian is willing to adjust his role at the top when Padikkal is on song.
“He is a brilliant young player. Over the last couple of years in domestic cricket, he has shown, U-19, how talented he is and how destructive he can be at the top of the order. I loved opening the batting with him, such an exciting young player. The left and right hand combination also adds a little bit, which is nice. My advice (to him) was just to play your natural game. If you are feeling it against a particular bowler, just keep going. And then, my role changes a bit, me getting off the strike, trying to get one and rotate the strike and keep his rhythm going,” said Finch during the post-match press conference.
One could not make out that this was his first outing in the Indian Premier League as he completed his fifty on debut. The left-hander has made it a habit of making heads turn in his first game. He also holds the distinction of scoring a debut half-century in Ranji Trophy, Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare. The youngster made his big mark last season, when he amassed more than 1800 runs in all formats.
Padikkal, who was lauded by commentators for his batting exploits, remained unfazed against a reputed bowling attack. He told The New Indian Express last week that he backs himself to play against any bowlers. He proved it too. The audacity to come down the track against pacers or even attempt a reverse sweep against leg-spinner Rashid Khan showed his frame of mind, full of confidence.
Now, the real test lies ahead. Teams will come with their homework done against him, go through his videos, find and exploit his weakness in the coming matches. By the looks of his calm nature and confident approach, he has it in him to remain consistent.