The dashing left-handed opener Devdutt Padikkal has revealed that his return to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of the Indian Premier League 2025 season was a significant turning point in his career, helping him rediscover clarity in his approach to the game. 

Padikkal played a vital role at the top of the order for RCB in IPL 2025, scoring 247 runs in 10 matches at an impressive strike rate of 150.61. His contribution was instrumental in his side’s first-ever IPL championship.  

Reflecting on his journey, Padikkal admitted that the 2025 mega auction proved to be a defining phase in shaping his mindset and commitment.

“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.

The left-hander further explained how that opportunity pushed him to focus on self-improvement irrespective of results, and how he changed his approach towards the game.

“When I got that opportunity with RCB, I feel that’s the day I decided that there are a lot of things that I need to do and I needed to really commit to working on those things regardless of what the outcome may be, what the result may be,” he added.

Padikkal had made an immediate impact in his debut IPL season in 2020, scoring 473 runs and winning the Emerging Player award with RCB. However, subsequent stints with Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants did not quite go as planned.

Opening up about his challenging phase, Padikkal acknowledged the pressure of expectations and the emotional toll of underperformance.

“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.

The Karnataka batter has started his 2026 season with a bang, scoring 111 runs in just two innings with a stunning strike rate of 201.82 for his side. Meanwhile, the defending champions are on a roll with two wins in two matches so far.

Former Australian cricketer David Warner has been charged with a drink driving offence in Sydney.

Warner, who is currently leading the Karachi Kings in the 2026 Pakistan Super League, has been relieved of his duties and permitted to return home due to the seven-day gap between their games. The Kings played last on April 2, and their next fixture is on April 9.

During this period, Warner, who had returned home to Sydney, was pulled over by local police in the city on the evening of April 5. He was subjected to a breath test for alcohol consumption, which yielded a positive result.

The legal limit for the breath test in Australia is 0.05, and Warner clocked in a 0.104 reading when the test was taken on him. He was then arrested and taken to the Marourba Police Station, and has been charged to appear in court in May.

“About 5:30pm today (Sunday 5 April 2026), police were conducting stationary random breath testing on Malabar Road, Maroubra,” the police statement read.

“A van was seen to allegedly stop short of the testing site and park. Officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command approached the vehicle and subjected the driver – a 39-year-old man – to roadside testing which returned a positive result.

“He was arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station where a second test allegedly returned a reading of 0.104. The man was issued with a Field Court Attendance Notice for drive with middle-range PCA to appear before the Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday 7 May 2026.”

Meanwhile, before the break, Warner’s Karachi Kings were one of the in-form teams in the PSL. Having played three games, they have won all of them, with Warner getting runs with the bat. Against new franchise Rawalpindiz, Warner scored 50 off 36 balls as the Kings chased down 198, with Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan making 74 off just 34 balls.

Warner, who is one of Australia’s most decorated players, has represented the country in over 350 games in all formats. He is a prolific batter, scoring over 18,000 runs with 49 centuries in an international career that has spanned around 15 years. His last appearance came in the Third Test against Pakistan in January 2024, at the SCG, his home ground.

He is also the most prolific overseas batter in the IPL, with 6,565 runs across 16 seasons. He led the Sunrisers Hyderabad to the title in 2016, scoring 848 runs at an average of 60.57 and a strike rate of 151.42.

The Karachi Kings play their next match against the Peshawar Zalmi on April 9. 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) registered a comfortable 43-run victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match No. 11 of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, April 5.

Batting first, RCB posted a massive 250/3 in their 20 overs. Virat Kohli provided a quick start but was dismissed for 28. Phil Salt and Devdutt Padikkal added 56 runs for the second wicket, with Salt scoring 46 and Padikkal smashing 50 off 29 balls. Padikkal then combined with Rajat Patidar for another brisk stand before Patidar and Tim David took charge.

The duo stitched a match-defining 99-run partnership off just 35 balls for the fourth wicket. Patidar remained unbeaten on 48, while David played a sensational knock of 70* off 25 balls, including eight sixes at a strike rate of 280, propelling RCB to a daunting total.

In response, CSK struggled to keep up with the required rate and lost wickets at regular intervals, finishing on 207. Sarfaraz Khan was the standout performer with a quickfire 50 off 25 balls. A late 57-run stand between Prashanth Veer and Jamie Overton provided some resistance but came too late.

For RCB, Bhuvneshwar Kumar led the bowling effort with figures of 3/41, while Jacob Duffy and Krunal Pandya picked up two wickets each to seal a convincing win.

Talking points

1) RCB middle-order batters’ assault

RCB got off to a steady start courtesy of Phil Salt and Virat Kohli, who laid a solid platform at the top. Building on that foundation, the middle order took complete control of the innings. Devdutt Padikkal played a fluent knock of 50 off 29 balls, setting the tone for the acceleration. He was well supported by Rajat Patidar, who remained unbeaten on 48 off just 19 deliveries. The highlight, however, was Tim David’s explosive finish, as he smashed an unbeaten 70 off 25 balls at a stunning strike rate of 280.

2) Sarfaraz Khan’s lone fight

For CSK, the chase never really gained momentum as wickets fell at regular intervals. The top order failed to provide the necessary support while chasing a daunting target of 251. Amid the collapse, Sarfaraz Khan stood out with a brilliant counterattack during the powerplay. He scored a quickfire 50 off just 25 balls, keeping CSK’s hopes alive briefly. However, his dismissal immediately after the powerplay ended any realistic chance of a comeback.

3) RCB bowlers’ collective pullback

RCB’s bowling unit delivered a disciplined and collective performance to seal the win. Jacob Duffy made early inroads by removing the openers, setting the tone for the defence. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was instrumental in picking up crucial wickets at key moments, ensuring CSK never settled. Meanwhile, Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma chipped in with timely breakthroughs, tightening the grip on the opposition.

Who said what?

Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK), Losing Captain

Well, even I was surprised, to be honest. Great fight by Sarfaraz, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, even to some extent Shivam Dube. So I think, maybe I could have, contributed more top of the order. You never know, we would have chased it down. (on David) Well, you’re right, KP. I think, Anshul almost got a wicket of him. Unfortunate to be illegal delivery, but yeah, after that, he just smacked all over the park and, as you rightly said, hats off to him. (on not taking their chances in the field) We would have had, as you rightly said, if you had taken the early chance of Virat Kohli, I think that was, I mean, maybe he would have had momentum to ourselves. But I think, we still had the game in our hands till the 13th, 14th over, and that’s when the momentum really shifted.

Rajat Patidar (RCB), Winning Captain

Of course, it feels great! You know, but at the same time, if you play good cricket, it gives a lot of satisfaction. Initially, the ball was stopping a bit. The way Phil and Virat bhai played early on was superb. After that, Dev and Tim David, I enjoyed all those sixes from the dugout and from the non-striker’s end. Yes, my mindset was very clear. As long as I am batting in the middle, I try to put pressure on the bowler. As I said, I am lucky to have Tim David at the other end.

Tim David, Player of the Match

(On his innings) Very pleased – does not always happen that way. The skipper was smoking it, and I just took some balls off him – it was super fun. I do not change my game much, but I have confidence from all the prep I do. Going in to bat with Jitesh and Shepherd behind me really gives me confidence. Lot of prep we do here. Nice to work with DK – he is an experienced player in these conditions. Have been in the IPL for a few years. With that prep, you don’t put pressure on yourself to perform.