Bengaluru: As Royal Challengers Bengaluru gear up to face Delhi Capitals at home, top-order batsman Devdutt Padikkal has offered a rare glimpse into the emotional weight of his cricketing journey, recalling his Test debut for India as a moment of overwhelming fulfilment.
“I went back to my room on the day of the game where I got my cap and cried for the rest of the evening.” These were the poignant words of Devdutt Padikkal.
In a deeply personal and moving episode of RCB Bold Diaries ahead of RCB’s home clash against Delhi, Padikkal opened up on his battles, growth, and dreams, laying bare the emotional weight of donning India’s Test whites.
“When you go to bed every night as a kid watching cricket, taking in Test Cricket and looking at it as something that you want to achieve, then to wake up one day and know that you are doing what you dreamt of every single day going to bed, that’s something that is so special to have, right? Playing Test Cricket has always been my ultimate goal,” he said.
“That moment of receiving that cap is something that I don’t think I will ever feel again, because that is such a special moment. It happens once in your life,” he added.
Padikkal, who returned to RCB this season, also reflected on his early days as a die-hard fan of the franchise, his admiration for Karnataka’s cricketing legends, and the challenges of staying resilient through personal health setbacks.
“In 2022… I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. I lost a lot of weight, was fatigued all the time, and had to stop playing for a few months. It’s something I’ll probably deal with for life.”
Despite the hardship, the stylish southpaw never stopped dreaming, especially of lifting an IPL title with RCB, the team he grew up cheering from the stands. “Obviously, winning an IPL trophy for RCB is a dream. I’m an RCB fan, and I feel the same as every other fan in the stadium. Now that I’m back, my only dream would be to win that trophy for RCB.”
The 23-year-old also touched on the pressures of modern cricket, the transition between red and white-ball formats, and the influence of his mentor Virat Kohli. “Working with Virat… the things you could learn from him just by being around him the entire day is something I will treasure.”
Padikkal credited Karnataka’s cricketing tradition, with legends like Dravid, Kumble, and Prasanna, for shaping his values and ambition. “You can name at least 30-40 cricketers coming out of Karnataka who have done great things for the country. Each time we step onto the field, we’re trying to live up to their standards.”
As he prepares to step onto the field once more at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the left-hander carries not just the hopes of a franchise, but the dreams of a boy who once sat in the stands with balloons, cheering for RCB, now ready to script his own chapter in red and gold.
