The India captain was installed as a mentor for the 20-year-old ahead of his second tournament with RCB - and the relationship has already paid dividends
Virat Kohli told Devdutt Padikkal to improve on his fitness ahead of his second Indian Premier League after being installed as the youngster's mentor, Royal Challengers Bangalore head coach Simon Katich has revealed.
The 20-year-old played 15 matches of the 2020 event in the United Arab Emirates, scoring 473 runs at 31.53.
But RCB detected that Padikkal struggled physically after around 30 deliveries.
Kohli advised the youngster to get fitter in the off-season and that hard work has already paid dividends.
He struck a maiden IPL century in the win over Rajasthan Royals, a knock of 101 not out he put on alongside Kohli as part of a first-wicket stand worth 181.
Katich told BBC Sport: "Given his experience and the esteem he is held in in Indian cricket, last season we asked Virat to mentor Devdutt. Devdutt was a kid playing his first IPL, which is a long, physically and mentally draining tournament.
"We saw times when he started really well but there were times when teams started to work him out with their tactics.
"There were also times when he started to physically tire, particularly in an innings where we would get to the 20 or 30-ball mark. He could get fatigued, make a mistake and get out.
"Virat urged him to work on his fitness when the tournament was over. A lot of credit goes to Padikkal, who worked on his game in the nets, but Virat was able to guide him on what to do next. He was prepared to give up his time and knowledge."
Image courtesy of IPL
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