Mumbai: Ahead of the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) youngster Devdutt Padikkal said that he doesn’t feel like there has been a break in the tournament. Expressing hopes of going all the way during the UAE leg and carrying the momentum, Padikkal said they have a good core squad and they are ready for the challenge.
“It is almost like we are continuing the tournament again, it does not feel like that we have had a long break because we have had enough cricket. It does not feel like a huge break and it is just about continuing with the momentum we had in the first phase of the season,” said Padikkal in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of RCB.
After a couple of successful years in the tournament he had become fan favourite. When asked about how he manages fanfare, the RCB star said he avoids getting distracted by the media and only focusses on how he can improve his game.
“In India, cricket is a huge festival and it is a religion. There is a lot of attention you get outside the sport as well so it is important you try to focus on the game. It is very easy to drift away and get distracted, so what I have tried to do is to focus on the game and try not to look at the media because it is easy to get distracted by those things,” he added.
RCB have made four replacements for the season so far, the most by any franchise. Which includes Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera, English all-rounder George Garton and Singapore’s Tim David. When asked about whether this is the year for RCB to win the IPL, Padikkal said: “I would hope so. Everyone comes with the hope of winning the IPL, hopefully this is our year. We have a good squad and we have gotten good replacements as well so we look ready for the challenge.”
Padikkal, who made his white-ball debut for India in the series against Sri Lanka in July this year, reveals his aspirations to play the longest format of the game for India, considering it the pinnacle of the sport.
“For me there are a lot of goals in life. Obviously, playing Test cricket for India is the ultimate one. Also, I want to win the IPL, win the World Cup, and all other trophies. For me the main goal is to win trophies, to be part of champion sides, and it is always something that I have looked up to. Hopefully, it is something that I can do with RCB and the Indian team as my career goes on,” he elaborated.
Devdutt Padikkal played a crucial role in RCB’s success in the first half of IPL 2021. The left-handed opener scored 195 runs from six innings at a strike rate of just under 160. His exploits also included a magnificent knock of 101* against Rajasthan Royals (RR).
