IPL 2026 has been a double whammy for Venkatesh Iyer. So strong is the Royal Challengers Bengaluru squad that he has featured in just one of six games.

And in that match, because of the Impact Player rule, the all-rounder could only showcase one of his two skills.

But the 31-year-old, who played leading roles in Kolkata Knight Riders’ title dash in 2024 and the runner-up finish in 2021, remains upbeat.