India, May 18 -- It was only Venkatesh Iyer's third innings in IPL 2026 in Dharamshala on Sunday, but the Royal Challengers Bengaluru star made it look like he had been a regular mainstay this season. Iyer's unbeaten 40-ball 73* was pivotal as RCB defeated PBKS to become the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season. Iyer has hardly featured for RCB this season, but showed that patience reaps benefits, playing a key role in their win vs PBKS.

Speaking after the match, Iyer was asked about having to wait for opportunities this season due to RCB's strong batting depth, and the India player was boldly honest.

"I'd lie if I said that I was not frustrated or not wanting to play. I was really wanting to go out there and play because ...