“I felt that everything comes down to money” : Devdutt Padikkal opens up on a disappointing IPL stint with LSG
Devdutt Padikkal has been in the form of his life in the opening two matches of IPL 2026 for the defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Indian batter has already scored 111 runs in two innings at an astonishing strike rate of over 200.
RCB have stuck with the southpaw at number three for this season, after he played some vital knocks for the franchise in their title-winning season last run. He amassed 247 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 150.61.
The Indian batter played for RCB in 2020, where he impressed the world with his batting skills. However, he later moved on to Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants, where he had two disappointing stints.
Devudtt Padikkal reflects on how he felt when RCB snatched him up at the Mega Auction in 2024 for Rs 2 crores, and how it transformed his career.
“I feel that auction was probably the turning point of my career in a lot of ways. I was at that stage of my career 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.
Devdutt Padikkal reflects on his LSG stint
Devdutt Padikkal was bought by LSG ahead of the 2024 IPL for a whopping price of Rs 7.75 crores. The left-handed batter stated that the pressure of being a high-paid player was always there, and he was unable to justify his price tag through his performances.
“I feel that auction was probably the turning point of my career in a lot of ways. I was at that stage of my career 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.
“I moved to LSG for that one year, and obviously, that didn’t go great either. It was really hard. I felt that everything comes down to money. When a franchise is putting their faith in you in terms of that much money they are paying you, you feel like you are letting them down when you don’t perform. At that point, honestly, I didn’t have any answers either,” he concluded.
