IPL 2021: Devdutt Padikkal reaches milestone in IPL, completes 500 runs for RCB

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) opening batsman Devdutt Padikkal has completed 500 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Padikkal reached the milestone while batting against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in today's game, where he scored 25 runs off 28 balls before being dismissed by Prasidh Krishna. Padikkal, who opened the batting with Virat Kohli, remained on the crease as he witnessed KKR spinner Varun Chakraborty dismiss two batsmen, including his skipper. Padikkal then forged a partnership with Australian batting powerhouse Glenn Maxwell, who is currently batting in his sixties and is looking in good form to finish the inning for RCB.

Padikkal completed 500 IPL runs from 17 matches and averages 29.94 in the IPL so far. Padikkal has a strike rate of 121.19. The Karnataka batsman scored a whopping 473 from 15 games in last year's IPL, which was also his debut season in the cash-rich league. In the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League, Padikkal scored five half-centuries and had the highest individual score of 74 runs. Padikkal was acquired by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for Rs. 20 lakhs at the players' auction prior to the 2019 season. Last year, Padikkal had come on the back of a very good domestic season. The 20-year-old continued his good form in the last domestic season as well, where he scored 737 runs from seven matches in the Vijay Hazare trophy and 218 runs from six matches in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. 

RCB vs KKR

Meanwhile, RCB is currently cruising while batting in the first inning as the franchise has its two key foreign players out in the middle. Maxwell is batting at 75 off 45 balls at the time of writing this story, while AB de Villiers, who joined the party in the 12th over, is exploding with a strike rate of 176.47. de Villiers has scored 31 off 18 balls, including 4 boundaries. RCB skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first at Chepauk stadium in Chennai. 

(Image Credit: RCB/Twitter)