Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will lock horns against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their upcoming IPL 2026 clash on Wednesday, May 13 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. RCB will look to seal the game to complete two consecutive wins to ensure a strong finish in the league stage.
Kris Srikkanth wants Venkatesh Iyer in RCB's playing XI
However, there are a few concerns about RCB's playing XI as star players like Jacob Bethell and Romario Shepherd have failed to perform as per the expectations in the last few games. Opener Jacob Bethell failed to score big after getting a decent start in the win against Mumbai Indians, scoring only 27 off 27 balls.
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Former India skipper Kris Srikkanth has urged the Rajat Patidar-led side to drop the English all-rounder and give chance to Venkatesh Iyer in the lineup.
"They should drop Shepherd as he hasn't scored in his last two to three innings. They can continue with Bethell. But I will play Venkatesh Iyer instead at that position. There is no compulsion that you have to play a fourth foreigner," said Srikkanth on his YouTube channel.
Jacob Bethell's poor show in IPL 2026
The star English all-rounder has failed to live up to the expectations, replacing Phil Salt at the opening slot, who left the team due to an injury. In five outings, the left-handed batter has managed to score only 69 runs at an average of 13.80 and a poor strike rate of 111.29.
Bethell managed to register his highest score of 27 off 27 balls in the game against MI, where RCB secured a close two-wicket win.