Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag put his weight behind Venkatesh Iyer after the RCB batter's strong performances in the limited opportunities that he has had in the IPL 2026. Iyer has batted only four times in the 14 matches this season and has mostly been sent SOS calls by the RCB management.
It was against the Rajasthan Royals that he came in as an Impact sub after RCB were reeling at 125/7 and needed a strong end. Iyer was the cornerstone as he made 29 from 15 balls to power RCB to 201/8, although his team could not win.
However, the Southpaw has had a couple of more highly impactful innings now. After being sent an SOS call again when skipper Rajat Patidar was out against the Punjab Kings, he made a stellar 40-ball 73 to play a major role in his team's win. He made another strong impact while opening in place of the injured Jacob Bethell and made 44 from 19 balls to give his team a robust start.
Sehwag not in favour to drop Iyer for Salt
However, as Phil Salt has joined the team back, he is likely to be roped in the side straight away for his own impactful knocks. Salt last played on April 18 against the Delhi Capitals and missed all the next games due to a finger injury. Bethell opened in his absence but could not do much to impress. Iyer has now impressed the cricket pundits, and with Salt coming in, Sehwag feels Iyer should not be dropped; instead, it should be Jitesh Sharma who should make way for the England international.
"Venkatesh Iyer is at his best when batting in the top order. He played his best knocks for KKR in that position. For RCB, he hasn't had many chances at his preferred spot. But when Rajat Patidar was injured, he came in at number four against Punjab and played a match-winning 73," Sehwag said on JioStar.
"Then against SRH, he opened the innings and played a quickfire 44, giving RCB the start they needed in a 256-run chase. Now, with Phil Salt returning to full fitness, the big question is whether Venkatesh will keep his place in the XI. It's a good problem for RCB to have.
"Iyer's intent against Hyderabad was spot on. When chasing 256, you need that kind of positive start, and he delivered. I wouldn't drop Iyer from the opening slot. Instead, I would replace Jitesh Sharma with Phil Salt. Jitesh is not in great form, and RCB have taken bold decisions before. If Salt has to come back, Jitesh should make way."
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