He’s a superb talent – Dinesh Karthik on Devdutt Padikkal’s evolution

Devdutt Padikkal’s presence at No.3 for RCB has been nothing short of a blessing as the southpaw continues to command a solid show with the bat. With 463 runs in his tally scored at a strike rate of 170.85, Padikkal is 10 runs adrift of his best-ever season in the IPL which came in 2020.

Padikkal had an excellent domestic season as well, spearheading Karnataka’s batting charge with pomp and vigour. Talking in an exclusive interview with the Times of India, RCB’s batting coach and mentor, Dinesh Karthik opened up on how DDP has changed a few elements of his game and how that has helped Padikkal take his game to the next level.

Karthik said, “He was always an extraordinary batter for Karnataka and across formats. But in IPL, I think he wanted to change certain areas of his game, which he addressed straight away, and we were happy enough to help as a group and you can see the results on the field the confidence and the way he is batting.”

He further added, “It’s always a good sign when a young boy like that understands what it takes to take his game to the next level and asks for suggestions and opinions, but he does it his own way. He’s a strong man. I believe he’s a superb talent and it’s great to see that talent evolving into something very special for the team.”