Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer expressed his happiness after playing a match-winning innings which helped his side to seal a commanding 23-run win against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2026 clash in Dharamshala on Sunday.
Iyer played a fearless innings at number four in the absence of captain Rajat Patidar. He smashed an unbeaten 73 runs off 40 deliveries including eight boundaries and four maximums at a strike rate of 182.50. The 31-year-old also stitched a 60-run stand with Virat Kohli and later added 65 runs alongside Tim David to power RCB to 222/4.
During the post-match presentation, Player of the Match, Venkatesh Iyer spoke about his performance and his experience of being part of RCB. “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.”
Speaking further, Iyer admitted that it was difficult for him to stay out of the playing XI. “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.
Iyer also credited veteran batter Virat Kohli for helping him settle during the innings after a slow start. “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.”
With this win, RCB became the first team to qualify for the playoffs with nine wins from 13 matches. They will next face SRH in their final league match in Hyderabad on May 22.
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