Hard to keep him out of Indian team: Karthik on Devdutt Padikkal

RCB mentor Dinesh Karthik lauded Devdutt Padikkal's match-winning 50 vs CSK, suggesting a spot in the Indian team is imminent if he maintains this form. Karthik also praised his leadership and Tim David's explosive 70-run innings.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik has hailed batter Devdutt Padikkal's 50-run knock against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday and reckoned it will be difficult to keep him out of the Indian team for long if he keeps batting like this. RCB defeated CSK by 43 runs in their second match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 tournament after posting a mammoth 250/3 in 20 overs. Coming in after Virat Kohli's dismissal, Padikkal (50 off 29 balls) built a 56-run stand with Phil Salt and then added a quickfire 58-run partnership off just 21 balls with Rajat Patidar, setting the stage for RCB. From that platform, Tim David's explosive 70 off 25 balls powered the team to a daunting 250-run total.

Karthik on Padikkal's India prospects

Speaking on JioStar, Dinesh Karthik hailed Devdutt Padikkal's composed knock. "If he continues batting like this, it will be difficult to keep him out of the Indian team for long. He has scored heavily in domestic cricket and we know he's a quality player. What's also impressive is the way he's stepping up as a leader in the Karnataka dressing room. Even at 25, he contributes with his ideas and leadership, and that's great to see," he said.

'Showed great courage'

Karthik praised Padikkal for his determination and patience, highlighting how he resisted the urge to play risky shots early on. "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. Once he got that first boundary, you could see him switch gears. He's playing proper cricketing shots and hitting the ball with distance," he said

Praise for Tim David's 'gifted' ball-striking

Dinesh Karthik also praised Tim David for his brilliant 70-run innings that included eight sixes. "Tim David is an extremely gifted ball striker. He has a very smooth swing, long levers and all the ingredients required to hit big shots. For him, it's about ensuring those elements remain consistent in practice. Because he bats in the middle order, he often gets fewer balls in a match compared to top-order batters. So, in the nets, it's important that he faces enough deliveries and stays in a good rhythm. The rest of his game is already very strong. Over the last 12-18 months, he has been one of the most consistent batters in the world in this format," he said. (ANI)

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