'Always liked him from the time I saw him in the UAE' - Shaun Pollock praises Devdutt Padikkal after his maiden IPL century

Devdutt Padikkal’s maiden century in the IPL 2021 against Rajasthan Royals has left one and all impressed. A knock as dominating as any, Padikkal smacked 11 fours and six sixes in his unbeaten 101 off just 52 deliveries to finish the chase alongside Virat Kohli with 21 balls to spare.

Set 178 for the win, the duo added a massive 181 for the opening stand, where Padikkal was assisted well by his skipper Kohli, who got a 47-ball 72, including six fours and three sixes. The win has led RCB to once again occupy the top spot in the table, as they remain to be the only team that has not lost even a single game so far.

Impressed by Paddikal’s knock, veteran South African pacer Shaun Pollock heaped praise on the youngster, and described the RCB opener’s batting style as “dismissive”. Pollock told that had liked the look of Padikkal when he had first seen him in the UAE during last year’s IPL.

He has got a fantastic technique: Shaun Pollock

“I’ve always liked him from the time I saw him in the UAE. I thought he was class, he’s tall, he is got all the shot, he looks elegant. And he’s got a fantastic technique. I think in UAE what I felt about him was that he was accumulating too many dot balls. I think he has worked at that. He’s got runs in domestic cricket,” said Shaun Pollock in a Cricbuzz video.

“When he got to the Wankhede Stadium, we said that the surface will probably suit him but I saw some more power hitting from than what I expected. He hit some fantastic shots in the first six overs. He was ready to take the attack (to the opposition) and put them under pressure. Whatever chances they had, were put to bed after the first six overs. He was dismissive of what they threw at him and just continued to grow. He probably got a bit stronger too,” said Pollock.

Meanwhile, speaking about his knock during the post-match presentation, Padikkal stated how the pitch helped him to play the big shots. “It’s been special. I could only wait my turn. When I was down with COVID all I was thinking of ways to come here and play the first match here. I couldn’t do that but was keen to contribute to the team’s win. The wicket was coming on really well and we got a good start. When you get into a partnership like that, it helps as runs come from both ends,” he said.

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