IPL 2020 | Kept asking Virat Kohli one question after another, reveals Devdutt Padikkal

There is a thing about the strokeplay of left-handers that bewilders everyone. Perhaps, the class, elegance, touch, power hitting, and especially if it's a tall southpaw from India, it is like an icing on the cake. Making his debut for RCB on Monday against SRH in Dubai, Karnataka youngster Devdutt Padikkal, who had blazed through in last year's Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy, replicated his form in the IPL, making a match-winning 56 off 42 deliveries, and boy he played some phenomenal strokes to awe one and all with his eight boundaries. 

The southpaw was quite dismissive in terms of his batting and seemed to have nerves of steel, but it wasn't what he felt inside as speaking to Yuzvendra Chahal for iplt20.com, he revealed how nervously he was walking just ahead of the match in his hotel room. Padikkal also talked glowingly about the influence of RCB skipper Virat Kohli on his game.

"I was very nervous the whole evening and was walking here and there not knowing what to do but once I strolled down to the middle, I felt a little settled especially after one or two deliveries. I have learnt a lot from Virat Kohli throughout our practice as I kept asking him one question after the other so that I can get as much information as possible. It felt great batting with Aaron Finch as he helped me out in the middle and was constantly giving me the strike, which really helped," said Padikkal talking to Yuzvendra Chahal.

Padikkal also asked Chahal about his incredible display. The leg-spinner had bowled a match-turning 16th over, taking two crucial wickets of Jonny Bairstow and Vijay Shankar to turn the tide in favor of the Reds.

"I felt very good, it was a very important over. I was thinking, this over could either go for runs or go in our favour," Chahal told Padikkal in a video posted on iplt20.com.

"My aim was to go for wickets, there was a defensive field but the chat with Kohli was about bowling attacking...as only if we took wickets, the complexion of the match would change. With the ball turning (first ball), I kept the line on leg-stump because it is difficult to hit from there. When Vijay Shankar came, the chat with AB and Virat was about bowling the googly... something that I was practising in the nets. It is difficult for a new batsman to read," he added.