Devdutt Padikkal’s return in white-ball cricket for this season has caught much attention and become a hot topic in India’s domestic cricket. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batting coach Dinesh Karthik and head coach Andy Flower were the main reasons why Padikkal had a T20 comeback and he even called them his mentors’ for turning him into a really good batter.
Devdutt Padikkal Coaches Dinesh Karthik, Andy Flower RCB’s Accreditations
Padikkal revealed his woes to The Indian Express, “It was really tough when I had to adjust my game to keep up with the way T20 cricket is being played at the moment.”
“I have always been a Test cricket aspirant so my skill was formed accordingly. When I had to make adjustments according to the current way T20 cricket is played all the credit goes to the RCB coaching staff DK (Dinesh Karthik) and Andy (Flower). They made me see how I can fit my game best and what I need to do and understand. Previously, I was so accustomed to powerplay batting that I never contemplated the 7-14 over period and so the dot percentage used to be high.”
The last one year has brought a visible change in Padikkal’s way of thinking. During the period of 2020-2024, the amount of runs he score against spin at his own very slow rate of just 123.1 in middle-overs was 352, and he played almost 30% dot balls.
Yet, the resumption of his career at RCB during IPL 2025 has transformed the whole situation. His scoring rate against spin in middle-overs has experienced a remarkable rise, and he has struck 94 runs at a rate of 144.6 while the number of dots he has played has come down to 23.1. All this indicates that he has definitely polished his skills in the 7-16 overs phase.
In IPL 2025, while playing as a No.3 batsman, Padikkal scored a total of 247 runs in 10 innings maintaining his best ever strike rate of 150.61 which is a huge increase from his overall IPL average of 126.29.
Devdutt Padikkal Rise in T20 Cricket In Stats
The left-handed batsman at first opened the batting for RCB in the initial two seasons and made great innings, scoring 473 (@124.80 SR) and 411 (@125.30 SR) runs. However, once the field restrictions were relaxed and the field spread out during the middle overs, he had trouble holding the aggressive stance. His low scores with the Rajasthan Royals, mostly at No. 3 and 4 (261 runs at a strike rate of 124.01) and with the Lucknow Super Giants (38 runs at a strike rate of 108.57) illustrated this problem of inconsistency and lack of ability to hit boundaries at regular intervals.
Nonetheless, after IPL 2025, Padikkal is a different animal altogether not only that in white-ball cricket but also in the first-class cricket.
The 25-year-old player after IPL 2025 appears in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 2025 and becomes the highest scorer with 449 runs at an average of 40.82, hitting 51 fours and 17 sixes, with a strike rate of 154.83. In six games of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, the left-handed batsman scored 309 runs in just six innings. He averaged 61.80 with a strike rate of 167.02, including one century and two fifties.
Now, in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26, Padikkal has continued to be a part of that victorious momentum for Karnataka. He has scored 585 runs in six innings with the scores of 147, 124, 22, 113, 108, and 91. His List A record is now 2585 runs in 37 games, including 13 hundreds and 13 fifties. He averages an amazing 83.62 with a strike rate of 93.37.
Padikkal’s rise could well open up a new chapter with the impending IPL 2026 and Karnataka’s great performance in domestic cricket. Possibly, a better season can help him argue for his inclusion in the Indian white-ball squad. But, the competition is very tough as many left-handed batters are there who are ready to take their turns.