Watch: Devdutt Padikkal celebrates 20-ball fifty during RCB vs GT clash of IPL 2026

From his very first ball of the innings during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Gujarat Titans at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, the number batter of the home side, Devdutt Padikkal, was in a different mood. 

When the visitors posted a decent score of 205 runs for the loss of three wickets in their allotted 20 overs, they needed a strong powerplay. Gujarat, who were on the track of crossing the 225-run mark, having got a 125+ opening partnership with one of them getting to a century, it was a below-par total.

Devdutt Padikkal notches up 20-ball half-century vs GT in IPL 2026

The Bengaluru side reached 26/1 after the end of three overs as Jacob Bethell returned to the hut. Padikkal, on the very first ball, whipped the ball off the pads to the deep backward square leg for a massive six. Devdutt Padikkal flicked Mohammad Siraj into the fine leg for a boundary. 

The Karnataka batter ended the over with another huge six. It was a good length delivery outside the off stump as DDP bent down onto his knee and creamed the drive over the covers as the ball sailed over the ropes for the six.

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On the second ball of the ninth over, the left-handed batter hipped the ball with an inside edge towards the fine leg for a boundary. He backed it away with another six against the lanky pacer over the fine leg region for a six. He ended the over with another six over the long-off region.

The southpaw timed another six over the extra cover with the inside-out shot as the ball went over the ropes for a maximum. He raised his bat after completing the half-century off 21 balls as he picked up the sweep shot over the deep backward square leg for a six.

RCB makes firing start to 206-run chase

Earlier in the evening, Gujarat reached 205 runs for the loss of three wickets in their allotted 20 overs with Sudharsan celebrating a strong knock of 100 runs off 58 balls with the help of 11 boundaries and five sixes at a strike rate of 172.41. Jason Holder remained unbeaten on 23 runs off 10 balls.

See Also: Watch: Virat Kohli engaged in banter with Shubman Gill during RCB vs GT clash of IPL 2026

Padikkal cracked a strong knock of 55 runs off 27 balls at a strike rate of 203.70, shouldering on two boundaries and four sixes, while Virat Kohli was unbeaten on 69 off 40 balls, thanks to eight boundaries and two over boundaries.

Brief Scores (at the time of writing): RCB 173/5 (V Kohli 81, D Padikkal 55, Rashid Khan 2/49) vs GT- 205/3 (Sai Sudharsan 100*, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1/31). 

Fans react to Padikkal getting 20-ball fifty vs GT in IPL 2026

Here is how the fans reacted to Padikkal celebrating his 20-ball half-century during the IPL 2026-