IPL 2026: 'Coming back to RCB was turning point of my career,' says Padikkal
New Delhi, April 7
Indian cricketer Devdutt Padikkal has admitted that returning to Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League 2025 proved to be a turning point in his career, as it gave him clarity about the kind of cricket he wanted to play.
In 2025, Padikkal played a crucial role at the top of the order for RCB, scoring 247 runs in 10 matches at an impressive strike rate of 150.61. In 2026, he scored 111 runs in just two games at a strike rate of 201.82.
"I feel that auction was probably the turning point of my career in a lot of ways. I was at that stage of my career where I needed to really commit to the type of cricket I want to play, the kind of cricketer I wanted to be. And coming back to RCB paved my path towards the brand of cricket I wanted to play," Padikkal said in a video released by RCB on X.
"When I got that opportunity with RCB, I feel that's the day I decided that there are a lot of things that I need to do and I needed to really commit to working on those things regardless of what the outcome may be, what the result may be," he added.
Padikkal made an immediate impact in his debut 2020 IPL season with RCB, scoring 473 runs and winning the Emerging Player Award. After spending a few seasons with the Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants, RCB bought him back at his base price of Rs 2 Crore during the 2025 mega auction.
"I moved to LSG for that one year, and obviously, that didn't go great either. It was really hard. I felt that everything comes down to money. When a franchise is putting their faith in you in terms of that much money they are paying you, you feel like you are letting them down when you don't perform. At that point, honestly, I didn't have any answers either," he said.
"I did not understand it enough. The way the season went, it really dampened a lot of things that had happened that year. But at the same time, that gave me that motivation and that real fire in me to try and get better, and sometimes you need that. You need those failures along your journey to remind you how much harder you need to work to get to where you want to get to," he added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's a great comeback story, but honestly, I feel for the other franchises too. LSG and RR invested in him, and he admits he felt the pressure of the price tag. It shows how mentally tough you need to be in the IPL. Glad he's found his home in RCB though!
RCB buying him back for just 2 crore might be the steal of the decade! His 2020 season was magical, and he's finally replicating that. This is why mega auctions are so crucial - they give players a second chance. #PlayBold
As a neutral fan, it's fascinating to see the psychological aspect. His comment about "everything comes down to money" and feeling like he let franchises down is very honest. The IPL is as much a mental game as it is physical.
His humility is refreshing. Accepting that failures are part of the journey and using them as fuel is the mark of a true champion. Wishing him all the best! Now, if only RCB could win the trophy with him in the team... 😅
Respectfully, while I'm happy for his success, I think we should be careful not to overhype players based on a couple of good seasons. Consistency is key. Let's see if he can maintain this for 2-3 years straight. The potential is definitely there.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.