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Padikkal’s RCB Reinvention Powers Hot Start to IPL 2026

A sharper, power-first role at No. 3 under RCB coaches has put him back on India selectors' radar.

Overview

  • The left-hander has 111 runs from two innings at a 201.82 strike rate, with fifties versus CSK and SRH that set up RCB’s first two wins.
  • Since rejoining in 2025, he has embraced a power-first method and a fixed No. 3 role designed to raise tempo from the outset.
  • Coaches Andy Flower and Dinesh Karthik shaped the change, and Karthik says this form should force India consideration if it continues.
  • Bought back by RCB for Rs 2 crore in the 2025 auction, he hit 247 runs in 10 games and says that move was the turning point that clarified the brand of cricket he wants to play.
  • After lean spells at Rajasthan and Lucknow that left him feeling weighed down by price tags, the Bengaluru setup has given him clarity, confidence, and a path to rebuild his game.