“Obviously, coming into this game after two ducks is never easy, and he showed why he is who he is,” Padikkal said. “To not have that on his mind and to just go out there and bat the way he does was something incredible. Really happy to see him get those runs.”

For Padikkal, the calmness and calculation of the chase stood out as much as the runs Kohli scored. He gave no indication of being under pressure at any point during their chase.

“I don’t think we really went into the specifics of anchoring,” Padikkal explained of their approach during the 92-run second-wicket partnership off just 59 balls. When Padikkal was dismissed for 39 off 27 deliveries, RCB were well on their way at 129 for 2 in 13.1 overs.

“It was more about making sure we took the game to a certain stage where we felt the rest of our batting line-up would be in a comfortable position. Over the last couple of games, we’ve been in situations where we lost a couple of wickets early, and never stitched partnerships together. I think it was important today that once I went in, both of us spoke about elongating that partnership for as long as possible and then taking it from there.”

Asked to elaborate on Kohli’s mindset coming into the game, Padikkal underlined the mantra his first IPL captain stuck by.

“Honestly, it [the two ducks] doesn’t really change anything,” Padikkal said of Kohli’s thought process. “You’ve played so much cricket in your career. Everyone who is out here comes to perform. No one is going to score in every single game. That’s part of the game, and he understands that better than anybody else.”

“It was a pretty good wicket, I thought,” Padikkal said. “There was a little bit for the pacers initially with the new ball, but as soon as that swing died down, it was a pretty good wicket to bat on. I don’t think we really discussed a target, but these days anything under 200 feels chaseable. That’s how the game has evolved.

“You don’t want to come in cold when you are batting. So I think it definitely helps, and hopefully I can field a lot more.”

Devdutt Padikkal on being brought as Impact Sub while fielding before batting

“When we went out there, we understood it was all about making sure we got one boundary an over. From there, you are in a pretty good position. When you have a batting lineup like we do, it’s important that we make sure these chases are done comfortably. I think we managed to do that today, and it looked much easier than it probably was.”

Padikkal has often been used as the Impact Sub. But RCB have often brought him in during their fielding innings – after their main bowler has been subbed out – just to get him into match rhythm. Padikkal believes this has made a difference as against coming in cold just to bat.

“Definitely, fielding before batting helps. If you come straight into a game to bat, it probably takes a bit of time to understand the pace of the game, the pace of the pitch, and the angles,” he said. “But when you are on the field early, it gives you an idea of the areas you can target, where the batters are looking to hit, and the general pace of the game.

“You don’t want to come in cold when you are batting. So I think it definitely helps, and hopefully I can field a lot more. It gets pretty mundane just sitting and watching at times. I enjoy fielding as much as possible.”