Who Will Be RCB’s 5th Bowler in RR vs RCB IPL 2026?

The rain-hit contest between the Rajasthan Royals and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 has brought an interesting twist for RCB. The defending champions opted to use Venkatesh Iyer as their impact player in the first innings, which has now locked them out of bringing in a specialist bowler like Suyash Sharma in the second innings. The conditions in Guwahati are still uncertain, and this decision could influence how skipper Rajat Patidar manages his bowling options, especially when it comes to RCB's fifth bowler.

Venkatesh Iyer and Romario Shepherd Likely to act as RCB's 5th Bowler

RCB had named five impact options but chose Venkatesh Iyer impact player during the first innings. This has now opened the door for Venkatesh Iyer bowling to become a key factor in the second innings. Venky will be bowling his medium-pace to complete 4 over quoto that was supposed to do by Suyash. However, Venky is a handy bowler who could provide crucial breakthrough in the middle as well.

With Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Krunal Pandya expected to lead the attack, the responsibility of RCB's 5th Bowler will likely fall on Iyer, along with Romario Shepherd. While he isn’t a frontline option, his ability to chip in with a few overs in the middle phase could prove vital, particularly if the pitch offers assistance after the rain interruption.

https://www.sportsdunia.com/ipl-news/when-will-jacks-will-join-mi-vacation-ipl-2026

Venkatesh Iyer Plays Quick Cameo as RCB Put 201

The gamble of using Venkatesh Iyer, one of the best all-rounder in IPL as an impact player in the first innings worked for the defending champions. The left-handed batter scored 29 runs off just 15 balls, including a four and two sixes. The best about this knock was that the 20 runs were made in the last over of the innings, helping his team to put 201 runs on the scoreboard and providing a much-needed momentum to them.

Apart from him, the star of the innings was skipper Rajat Patidar, who played a magnificent knock of 63 runs off 40 balls, including four fours and four sixes. It was his innings that kept the 200-run mark dream alive till the last ball of the innings. This 200+ score put the visiting team in a good position as they have an upper in RCB vs RR H2H record as well.