Royal Challengers Bengaluru allrounder Venkatesh Iyer made a major impact in only his fourth appearance of IPL 2026, scoring an unbeaten 73 off 40 balls against Punjab Kings. His innings earned him the Player of the Match award and helped RCB post 222 for 4 on a slow Dharamsala surface.
Batting at number four in the absence of captain Rajat Patidar, Iyer produced an aggressive and composed performance. The 31-year-old remained unbeaten on 73 from 40 deliveries, striking eight fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 182.50.
He first put together a 60-run partnership with Virat Kohli before adding 65 runs with Tim David, giving RCB the momentum needed to reach 222/4.
At the post-match presentation, Iyer spoke about his innings and what it has been like to settle into the RCB environment.
“Technically, it’s my second game,” said Iyer. “Today is the first time I got to properly bat. That was the pleasing thing and getting two points of course. Being in RCB. They welcomed me very well. Obviously it’s a very professional setup. Credit to Mo (Bobat), Andy (Flower) and DK (Dinesh Karthik). The brand of cricket that RCB plays is something that excites me a lot. Obviously I played for KKR so there is an emotional bond but I really feel at home here.”
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Iyer also acknowledged that spending time outside the playing XI had been challenging, although he understood the balance of the team.
“I’ll be lying if I said I wasn’t frustrated because I wanted to play. But I do understand that this is a champion team and to tinker with the combination isn’t always right. But I always made an impression on the coaching staff that I want to play and will make an impact and am happy for the opportunity,” he explained.
The allrounder also praised Virat Kohli for guiding him through the early part of his innings after he had taken time to get going.
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“It was scratchy at the start but I was lucky to be batting with Virat Kohli,” Iyer said. “The mindset shift that he’s able to communicate with you. All the legends of the game, one good thing is they know how to communicate. I played after a long time and needed a few balls to get into the groove. Once I understood the wicket and had the freedom to go after the bowling, it was good for me.”
RCB’s victory made them the first side to book a place in the playoffs, with nine wins from 13 matches. They will play their final league match against SRH in Hyderabad on May 22.
