RCB star shines in Maharaja Trophy 2025 with third fifty of season

RCB's Devdutt Padikkal that did well for Hubli Tigers in the Maharaja Trophy 2025 with a match-changing half-century against Mangalore Dragons at the Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wadeyar Ground in Mysore. His innings not only helped Hubli get a respectable total, but also increased his chances of retention prior to IPL 2026. Padikkal opened the batting and saw Mohammed Taha dismissed early and Vijaya Basavaraj Raj dismissed for a duck, before building the innings and forming good partnerships to steady the innings. 

Padikkal first added 46 runs with Krishnan Shrijith before forging a vital 59-run stand alongside Abhinav Manohar. After Manohar’s dismissal, Padikkal too departed in the following over, but not before scoring a brilliant 63 off 45 balls. His innings contained six fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 140.00 and was key as Hubli Tigers went past the 150-run mark. Apart from Manohar's 36, no other batter played a meaningful role as Padikkal showed his intent to anchor the innings.

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This knock marked Padikkal’s third half-century of the season, with two coming against the same opposition, Mangalore Dragons. Defending 152/7, Hubli’s bowlers ensured the target was out of reach, dismissing Mangalore for just 129 and sealing a 23-run victory. KC Cariappa and Yash Raj Punja led the way with three wickets each, while Shreesha Achar and Nathan D'Mello claimed two each. The all-round effort from the team highlighted their formidable campaign, with Padikkal's outstanding, consistent form being a standout-point of their season.

Devdutt Padikkal boosts IPL 2026 retention chances

Devdutt Padikkal has done everything to convince RCB to retain him for IPL 2026. He had a solid season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025, scoring 247 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 150.60, all the while batting at No.3. Unfortunately, due to a hamstring injury, he had to cut the season short and was unable to play the last half of the competition. Mayank Agarwal came in as a replacement and did fair, but he will always be a secondary option for RCB if they get their first choice Padikkal. Despite his injury, Padikkal provided RCB with valuable runs.

In the ongoing Maharaja Trophy 2025, Padikkal has continued his solid batting, scoring 186 runs in six matches at an average of 31 and a strike rate of 139.85. He also has three fifties and is currently the third highest run-scorer in the tournament. These great contributions to his teams batting not only help Padikkal build his own confidence, but help RCB potentially retain him for IPL 2026 auction, as he continues to produce valuable runs!