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\u2014who has been opening in Salt\u2019s absence\u2014should shift down the order.<\/p>\n
Bethell\u2019s batting role this season has drawn considerable attention. Even though he arrived after an impressive ICC Men\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Srikkanth believes the problem is not effort, but impact at the top. In his view, RCB are missing a key \u201cpower\u201d element that sets the tone early\u2014something he says other teams possess through their openers and aggressive top-order options.<\/p>\n
\u201cSalt 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,\u201d Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel, \u2018Cheeky Cheeka\u2019.<\/p>\n
He went on to outline a potential plan for the upcoming match. Srikkanth\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe Padikkal should open for them against LSG, and Bethell can come into the middle order. RCB\u2019s middle order has also caved in against quality bowling. After Padikkal, positions four to seven have collapsed quite a number of times,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s more aggressive top-order batters. For RCB, he has operated with consistency at No. 3, frequently delivering quick starts that shape the team\u2019s batting strategy.<\/p>\n
Through the first 9 matches RCB have played, Padikkal has appeared in every game and amassed 282 runs, striking at 188. Srikkanth\u2019s praise also points to how Padikkal\u2019s IPL form has followed a strong domestic run in the 2025\u201326 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.<\/p>\n
Srikkanth also argued that RCB\u2019s overall balance gives them a strong platform for the business end of the tournament. In his assessment, the squad\u2019s combination of bowling and batting strength should put them in contention for the playoffs during IPL 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
With the match now approaching in Lucknow, Srikkanth stressed the importance of Virat Kohli\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cVirat 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,\u201d Srikkanth stated.<\/p>\n
For fans looking for real-time coverage, keep track of the latest IPL Live Score, ongoing IPL updates, the IPL Schedule, and the points race\u2014along with the race for the IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple Cap.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8020,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Srikkanth Backs Padikkal to Open With Kohli","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"RCB vs LSG in Lucknow: Kris Srikkanth urges Devdutt Padikkal to open with Virat Kohli as Phil Salt stays injured and Bethell drops down.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n