Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 29 (ANI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Devdutt Padikkal expressed delight at the team's win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season opener on Saturday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Padikkal also revealed Virat Kohli's instructions for the young batter at the crease while chasing SRH's target.

Padikkal smashed a match-defining 26-ball 61-run innings, laced with four sixes and seven fours. He played at a brilliant strike rate of 234.62 while chasing SRH's 202-run target. Virat Kohli also scored a crucial, unbeaten 69-run knock off 38 balls. Together, Kohli and Padikkal combined for a 101-run partnership off just 45 balls and helped the defending champions chase 202 runs with 26 balls remaining.

Speaking on Star Sports' 'Amul Cricket Live', Padikkal himself spoke about how he approached his batting, with Kohli providing advice from the other end.

Devdutt Padikkal said it was a great feeling to begin the season with a win at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, which means a lot to the team and its fans. He shared that Virat Kohli advised him to maintain a high run rate and keep pressure on the bowlers while Kohli anchored the innings.

'It feels good to start off the new season with a win, especially at Bengaluru. The Chinnaswamy Stadium holds a special place in our hearts, and we wanted to give back to our fans who helped us win the trophy last year. When I came out to bat, Virat bhai's only instruction was to keep the run-rate up and put pressure on the bowlers. My job was to take risks while he anchored the chase,' he said.

Padikkal explained that Kohli's presence allowed him to play freely and take risks. He said that despite losing Phil Salt early, they stayed aggressive and prevented Sunrisers Hyderabad from making a comeback and chased down the target.

'His presence took the pressure off me and let me play freely. We knew SRH's bowling is not very strong, so we believed we could chase down the target in a smooth manner. We lost Phil Salt early, but it was important to keep the pressure on, so SRH wouldn't get the chance to come back into the game. We did that well and secured the win,' Padikkal said.

Devdutt Padikkal credited RCB head coach Andy Flower and batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik for transforming his T20 game, highlighting both technical and mental improvements. He said they helped him adapt to the evolving nature of T20 cricket and build the confidence to play a more aggressive style.

'The credit for the evolution and improvement of my game goes to our Head Coach Andy Flower and our Batting Coach Dinesh Karthik bhai. They really worked hard on me. It wasn't easy because there was a lot I needed to change. It wasn't just technical; it was a lot mentally as well. I needed to really believe that I can play this aggressive brand of cricket,' Padikkal said.

'Over the last five or six years, T20 cricket has evolved a lot. When I first came into the IPL in 2020, the cricket we played was very different from what is being played now. So, it was important that I believe in myself that I can do it. I feel Andy and DK helped me get there,' he added.

Coming to the match, Sunrisers Hyderabad, while batting first, staged a strong recovery from an early collapse to post a competitive 201/9 against the defending champions in the IPL 2026 opener.

After losing three quick wickets of Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Nitish Reddy in the power play, a brilliant knock from Ishan Kishan and key contributions down the order powered Hyderabad past the 200-run mark.

Ishan Kishan hammered 80 runs off 38 deliveries, including eight fours and five sixes. Ankiet Verma played a blistering knock of 18-ball 43, including three fours and four maximums.

For RCB, Jacob Duffy (3/22) and Romario Shepherd (3/54) scalped three wickets apiece. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/31), Abhinandan Singh (1/38), and Suyash Sharma (1/28) bagged one wicket apiece.

In response, Kohli played a match-winning, unbeaten knock of 69 off 38 deliveries, including five fours and as many sixes.

Apart from him, Impact Player Devdutt Padikkal hammered 61 off 26 balls, with seven fours and four sixes.

Skipper Rajat Patidar played a blistering knock of 12 balls for 31, with three sixes and two fours as Bengaluru won the high-scoring contest by four wickets.

The defending champions also chase down the fastest 200-plus runs in the history of IPL. Bengaluru chase down the 202-run target in 15.4 overs. (ANI)