RCB star batter left stranded on 99 during Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 Qualifier 1

RCB star batter left stranded on 99 during Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 Qualifier 1. Read more to know what happened in the match.

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The Qualifier 1 match of the Maharja Trophy KSCA T20 2025 is being played between the Hubli Tigers and the Mangaluru Dragons at the Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wadeyar Ground in Mysore on August 26. Hubli Tigers’ skipper Devdutt Padikkal won the toss and elected bat first.

Padikkal himself led from the front and played a responsible captain knock while remaining unbeaten in the end. He calmly approached a century yet, heartbreakingly, ended unbeaten on 99 off just 64 balls. The momentum was palpable when he and Mohammed Taha stitched together a blistering 81-run opening stand, leaving the opposition reeling under the early impact.

As Taha departed for a sharp 37 off 28 deliveries, Padikkal wasn’t deterred. Abhinav Manohar joined him, and both built a 105-run partnership for the second wicket. Manohar’s quikfire 50 off just 23 balls, which included five fours and three massive sixes, complemented Padikkal’s measured aggression. By the 19th over, Padikkal was stroking effortlessly into the 90s, a century well in sight.

However, there was a little twist in the script, that didn’t went in Padikkal’s favour. Kranthi Kumar’s miserly final over, with three dots, a single, and Padikkal denied taking another, and the final six by Manvanth Kumar wrapping the innings at 210 for two flipped the script. Padikkal was left stranded on the cusp of history, 99 not out at the end of 20 overs, having smacked 4 fours and 9 sixes along the way.

How was Devdutt Padikkal’s IPL 2025 campaign?

Padikkal’s form in the Maharaja Trophy comes hot on the heels of a roller-coaster IPL 2025 campaign. Returning to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for ₹2 crore, he sought redemption after a forgettable 2024 stint with Lucknow Super Giants. The switch paid off, he amassed 119 runs in his first six IPL matches.

Read more: WATCH: Sanju Samson scores 13 runs in a single ball in KCL 2025 match

Across 10 innings that season, Padikkal scored 247 runs at an impressive strike rate of 150.61, his best in any IPL year. His own words captured the struggle behind the numbers: he had “to bat differently,” and the off-season grind with coaches had unlocked a new version of himself.

Unfortunately, the resurgence was cut short. As RCB neared the playoffs, Padikkal was ruled out with a hamstring injury. His absence prompted the team to rope in experienced opener Mayank Agarwal as a replacement. As the left-handed batter has recovered from the injury, he will aim to have another great IPL season to make his case strong for getting a place in India’s T20I squad.

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