Reflecting on his journey, the elegant left-handed opener revealed that his return to RCB ahead of the 2025 season was a turning point in his career, helping him regain clarity in his approach to the game.
“I feel that auction was probably the turning point of my career in a lot of ways. I was at that stage where I needed to really commit to the type of cricket I want to play, the kind of cricketer I wanted to be. And coming back to RCB paved my path towards the brand of cricket I wanted to play,” Padikkal said in a video shared by RCB.
The Karnataka batter explained how the opportunity helped him focus on self-improvement regardless of results, shifting his mindset and approach to the game.
“When I got that opportunity with RCB, I feel that’s the day I decided there were a lot of things I needed to work on, and I committed to improving them regardless of the outcome or result,” he added.
Padikkal had made a strong impression in his debut IPL season in 2020, scoring 473 runs and winning the Emerging Player award. However, his subsequent stints with Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants were challenging. He admitted the pressure of expectations and the emotional toll of underperformance during that period.
“I moved to LSG for that one year, and obviously, that didn’t go great either. It was really hard. You feel like you are letting the franchise down when they invest so much faith and money in you, and at that point, honestly, I didn’t have any answers either,” Padikkal said.
Starting IPL 2026 on a high note, Padikkal has already scored 111 runs in just two innings at a phenomenal strike rate of 201.82. With the defending champions winning both their opening matches, RCB look well-poised to continue their momentum this season.
