Devdutt Padikkal of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has compared batting alongside some of the game’s greats while playing for the club to living a dream.
Padikkal debuted in the Indian Premier League (IPL) last season and won the Emerging Player Award after hitting 473 runs in 15 games. He has scored 349 runs in 11 games this season, including his first IPL century.
In a tense finish in Sharjah, he hit a crucial 40 off 38 as RCB upset Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six runs. Padikkal and team captain Virat Kohli put on a 68-run first-wicket stand.
AB de Villiers
“I am living my dream. To be batting with such great players like AB de Villiers you and everyone around. It’s a great privilege to be playing for RCB, and I am thoroughly enjoying it.” he said
The wicket at Sharjah was difficult to bat on. RCB’s total of 164 for 7 is the greatest team total in the UAE leg thus far.
“We always knew that the Sharjah wicket would be a little tough to bat on. Once we got going in the powerplay, we felt that we had to get as many as possible upfront because, after that, it could get a bit tricky for the new batsman coming in. It wasn’t for you (pointing to Maxwell), but for the rest of them, it probably was. Was just looking to give the team a good start and carry on from there.” Padikkal revealed
“We have had an amazing time so far in this tournament. Everyone has gelled well together, and we have had some great times off the field as well. Hopefully, we can elongate this journey as much as possible.” he added
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