Devdutt Padikkal believes his return to Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2025 was a decisive moment, giving him the focus he needed to pursue the style of cricket he wanted to play. Speaking in a video shared by RCB on X, the batter said the mega-auction call pushed him to commit to his desired brand of performance, and he credits that clarity for shaping how he approached the next phase of his career.
Key takeaways
- Padikkal said the 2025 auction proved to be a major turning point in how he viewed his career.
- In IPL 2025, he scored 247 runs in 10 matches for RCB at a strike rate of 150.61.
- In IPL 2026, he managed 111 runs across two games, striking at 201.82.
- He recalled that his earlier RCB debut season in 2020 featured 473 runs and the Emerging Player Award.
- RCB re-acquired him for his base price of Rs 2 crore during the 2025 mega auction after stints with Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants.
Why Padikkal credits the 2025 auction
The batter explained that the auction decision came at a stage when he felt he needed to fully commit to the cricketing identity he was aiming for. In his words, he was at a point where he had to decide what kind of cricketer he wanted to be, and coming back to RCB helped him move toward that direction.
Padikkal also spoke about the mindset he adopted once he received the opportunity. He suggested that the moment with RCB led him to understand he had work to do—regardless of results—emphasising that commitment to improvement mattered more than immediate outcomes.
Impact at RCB and lessons from other franchises
Padikkal highlighted that his association with RCB had already delivered early success. He made an immediate impression in his 2020 IPL season with the franchise, scoring 473 runs and earning the Emerging Player Award.
After a few seasons elsewhere, he was brought back by RCB in the 2025 mega auction at his base price of Rs 2 crore. Padikkal had previously moved to Rajasthan Royals and then Lucknow Super Giants before returning to Bangalore.
While reflecting on the year he spent at Lucknow Super Giants, he said the experience was difficult and that he felt the pressure of not performing after a franchise invested heavily in him. He added that he did not have clear answers at the time, describing how the way that season unfolded affected a lot of things around him.
At the same time, Padikkal said those setbacks served as motivation. He believes failures can fuel the drive to work harder, arguing that tough stretches can remind a player just how much effort is required to reach the standards they want to achieve.
