Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow on Tuesday, with Phil Salt still sidelined due to injury. With Salt unavailable, former India captain Kris Srikkanth feels RCB need to rethink their top-order shape, insisting Devdutt Padikkal should partner Virat Kohli at the start of the innings, while Jacob Bethell—who has been opening in Salt’s absence—should shift down the order.
Bethell’s batting role this season has drawn considerable attention. Even though he arrived after an impressive ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, he spent the opening stretch of the tournament out of the XI for the first six matches. His chance came only after Salt picked up an injury. Yet, in the three games he has played so far, Bethell has contributed 39 runs, striking at 150.
Srikkanth believes the problem is not effort, but impact at the top. In his view, RCB are missing a key “power” element that sets the tone early—something he says other teams possess through their openers and aggressive top-order options.
“Salt brought the demolishing factor. Other teams, with players like Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head or Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, bring that demolition factor, which RCB lacks. Salt was the one who brought that attacking structure for them. You need a swashbuckler at the top, and that is missing,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel, ‘Cheeky Cheeka’.
He went on to outline a potential plan for the upcoming match. Srikkanth’s suggestion is straightforward: let Padikkal open alongside Kohli, and move Bethell into the middle order where he can bat with a different tempo and responsibility.
“Maybe Padikkal should open for them against LSG, and Bethell can come into the middle order. RCB’s middle order has also caved in against quality bowling. After Padikkal, positions four to seven have collapsed quite a number of times,” he added.
Padikkal, meanwhile, has made a significant shift in his T20 approach this year. Having previously been viewed as a slow starter, he has developed into one of the IPL’s more aggressive top-order batters. For RCB, he has operated with consistency at No. 3, frequently delivering quick starts that shape the team’s batting strategy.
Through the first 9 matches RCB have played, Padikkal has appeared in every game and amassed 282 runs, striking at 188. Srikkanth’s praise also points to how Padikkal’s IPL form has followed a strong domestic run in the 2025–26 season for Karnataka, where he was the leading scorer in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (725 runs at 90.62) and guided his side to the Ranji Trophy final as captain.
Srikkanth also argued that RCB’s overall balance gives them a strong platform for the business end of the tournament. In his assessment, the squad’s combination of bowling and batting strength should put them in contention for the playoffs during IPL 2026.
“They have the best balance in both bowling and batting among all teams. That means they can perform well on any kind of wicket. RCB will definitely qualify for the playoffs, but whether they finish in the top two remains a question,” he said.
With the match now approaching in Lucknow, Srikkanth stressed the importance of Virat Kohli’s role in the innings. He believes Kohli is well equipped for the conditions and the match situation that LSG may present, especially given the need to absorb pressure for long enough to build a platform.
“Virat Kohli is the key for RCB in this match. He is used to playing on wickets like the one in Lucknow. He has to play a long innings, at least until the 15th over. This is a crucial match for LSG, whose bowling is good, but batting remains a concern,” Srikkanth stated.
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