Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Devdutt Padikkal plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans. (AP Photo) Devdutt Padikkal’s growing leadership role at the domestic level appears to be feeding directly into his evolution as a T20 batter, with the Karnataka captain crediting the added responsibility for sharpening his game awareness and decision-making at the crease. Padikkal, appointed Karnataka’s Ranji Trophy captain during the 2025-26 season, pointed to how thinking like a leader has altered his perspective as an opener, helping him better read situations and opposition plans. “Yeah, definitely. I think being a captain has definitely given me a different perspective of the game. It’s made me think a lot more about how a bowler thinks, how captains are thinking on the field, what they might look to do,” he said. “That kind of thought process has definitely helped me find parts of my game and refine it a lot more.…