IPL 2026: Venkatesh Iyer shines in Rajat Patidar's absence
What's the story
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) hammered 222/4(20 overs) against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2026 at Dharamsala's HPCA Stadium. The match witnessed stellar performances from Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer. While Kohli gave RCB a bright start, Venkatesh powered the finish. The latter played only his fourth match of this season. He shone in the injured Rajat Patidar's absence. Here are the key stats.
Knock
Venkatesh's blazing knock in Dharamsala
Venkatesh came in after Devdutt Padikkal and Kohli took RCB toward the 100-run mark. He struggled to connect at the outset while Kohli rotated the strike. Venkatesh eventually found his rhythm by taking Yuzvendra Chahal to cleaners. While Kohli departed after the 150-run mark, Venkatesh's blazing knock took RCB past 220. He returned unbeaten on 73 off 40 balls (8 fours and 4 sixes).
Twitter Post
Venkatesh rises to the occasion
Seizing the opportunity in style 👌
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 17, 2026
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/3u5qL0Zn75#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #PBKSvRCB | @venkateshiyer pic.twitter.com/VMHmF39cr5
Numbers
A look at his numbers
As mentioned, Venkatesh played only his fourth match in IPL 2026. He was bought for a whopping ₹7 crore by RCB in the mini-auction. In 66 IPL games, the left-handed batter has raced to 1,572 runs at an average of 31.64. His strike rate reads 138.89. This was his 13th IPL half-century apart from a ton. Overall, Venkatesh has over 3,300 runs in T20s.