Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Daniel Vettori admitted that Devdutt Padikkal’s explosive knock changed the course of the IPL 2026 opener, even though SRH had posted a commanding 201 and looked well placed at the halfway stage against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. RCB’s chase began on a shaky note when Phil Salt fell for just eight in the second over. But the momentum shifted quickly after Devdutt Padikkal walked in as an impact substitute and picked up right where he had left off last season.

The left-hander looked in supreme touch from the start, attacking the bowling with intent and confidence. Padikkal, who had enjoyed success at No. 3 in IPL 2025, produced another brilliant effort with 61 off only 26 balls at a strike rate of 234.62. He combined beautifully with Virat Kohli, adding 101 runs for the second wicket and taking the game away from SRH before the chase had even entered its middle phase.

By the time Devdutt Padikkal was dismissed, RCB were flying at 110/2 in the ninth over. Speaking after the match, Daniel Vettori said Padikkal’s aggressive start made the real difference.

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“Padikkal’s innings, I think. Came and hit the first ball for six, striking over 200, taking on all bowlers, allowing Virat to get into his innings, even though he was striking quickly too,” he said.

Vettori also noted how difficult it has become to defend 200-plus totals in modern T20 cricket. “The impetus that he showed when he came in was the real difference. Maybe a couple of years ago, you thought you were safe with 200, but I do think we understand where the game has gone and how destructive that RCB line-up is,” he added.

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SRH’s bowling attack struggled without Pat Cummins and Brydon Carse, and apart from Nitish Kumar Reddy and Jaydev Unadkat, the rest of the bowlers failed to keep their economy under control. Vettori praised Jacob Duffy for finding the right lengths on a tough M. Chinnaswamy Stadium surface, especially on debut, after the New Zealand pacer returned with excellent figures of 3/22.

“You don’t want to have a rusty performance because of how important every game is in the IPL, especially at the start. I think we missed our lengths and Duffy, in particular, showed the length to bowl on that surface,” Vettori said.