SMAT 2022: Devdutt Padikkal credits IPL experience for impressive ton against Maharashtra
Devdutt Padikkal for Rajasthan Royals
Promising top-order batter Devdutt Padikkal slammed a scintillating century in Karnataka's opening game against Maharashtra in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. His breathtaking 62-ball 124* propelled Karnataka to a mammoth 215, paving the way for their thumping 99-run victory.
Although he scored briskly across all three phases, Padikkal's incredible hitting in the middle overs stole the show. The swashbuckling southpaw admitted to working on his middle-overs batting and explained how batting in that phase for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL has helped him in this regard.
Here's how Padikkal credited IPL for his success
"Over the last couple of years, batting in the middle overs is one part of my game that I have been trying to improve. I am really happy with how it's going. Even in the IPL, playing in the middle-overs and the middle-order for Rajasthan really helped me focus and work on that. Hopefully, I can keep improving on that."
Debuting for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Padikkal had a decent outing in the IPL 2020, scoring 473 runs at an average of 31.53 and a strike rate of 124.80. Although Padikkal capitalised on the field restrictions in the power play, his inability to accelerate in the 7-15 overs phase was scrutinised by many.
However, evolving that aspect of his game must have brought a sigh of relief for the youngster. And given how he has recently performed, a recall from the national team doesn't seem too far away.
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