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Devdutt Padikkal was in sublime touch at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, lighting up the evening with a blistering half-century for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their high-stakes Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash against Rajasthan Royals. His 27-ball 50 was a mix of elegance and aggression, laced with 4 crisp fours and 3 towering sixes, striking at an eye-popping rate of 185.18. As RCB eyed a massive finish, Padikkal looked set to launch a full-blown onslaught in the death overs, until a fielding effort from Nitish Rana flipped the momentum.
Nitish Rana’s juggle ends Devdutt Padikkal’s blazing knock
Padikkal’s whirlwind innings came to a spectacular halt in the 17th over, thanks to one of the most dramatic fielding efforts of IPL 2025. Sandeep Sharma, known for his subtle variations, rolled his fingers over the ball and delivered a deceptive slower one. Padikkal, already cruising at a fiery strike rate of 185+, aimed to loft it straight over the bowler’s head—a shot he had played with authority all evening. But this time, the pace off the ball did the trick.
The timing deserted him, and the ball floated awkwardly toward mid-off where Rana was stationed. What followed was a scene worthy of replays and gasps. Rana began backpedaling to get under the ball but misjudged it slightly it popped out of his hands on the first attempt. As he stumbled backward, he instinctively reached out again with one hand, only for the ball to bounce off his palm a second time. Falling forward now, Rana made one final dive, trapping the ball between his hands and his chest while still in motion. It was a catch stitched together through instinct, reflexes, and sheer persistence, ending Padikkal’s dazzling knock on 50 (27 balls), and injecting new energy into the Royals’ defense just when RCB were eyeing a monstrous finish.
Here’s the video:
RCB post explosive 205 against RR as Virat Kohli, Padikkal shine under Bengaluru lights
RCB put on a power-packed display at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, finishing with a commanding total of 205/5. After being asked to bat first, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli set the tone with a fluent 61-run opening stand. Kohli played a captain’s knock, striking 70 off 42 balls with sublime timing and aggression. Padikkal continued the momentum with a fiery 50 off just 27 balls, punishing pace and spin alike before falling to a stunning juggling catch by Rana. Tim David added a brisk 23, while Jitesh Sharma’s unbeaten 20 off 10 gave the finish a flourish. Despite a few quick wickets in the death, RCB maintained a run rate over 10 through all phases. Sandeep Sharma’s 2/45 was the pick of the bowlers, though RR’s attack lacked penetration overall.
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