Rookie opener Padikkal delivers on his promise

Displaying a range of shots and confidence in striking the ball hard and clean, the 20-year-old scored a 42-ball 56 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) here on Monday. “I was very nervous upon hearing the news of making my debut. But when I came to bat, I settled down after playing a few balls,” Padikkal told Chahal during an interaction after the match.

Padikkal said that he learnt a lot from RCB and India skipper Virat Kohli during training. “In the last one month that we practised, I learnt so much from Virat bhaiya. I kept asking him questions whenever I was around him,” he said.

Chasing 164, SRH was 121 for two before Yuzvendra Chahal triggered a collapse with his twin strikes in successive balls. Talking about the 16th over (his last over) which changed the complexion of the game, Chahal said that he looked to bowl an attacking line with a defensive field.

“It was an important over. My mindset was to pick wickets,” said Chahal. “The first ball, I kept it at the leg stump because it was difficult to hit. When Vijay Shankar came in, AB de Villiers and Virat asked me to bowl a googly. We knew that if it lands properly it will be difficult for a new batsman to read,” he added.