Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) suffered another worrying moment as injury trouble once again followed them, even before the start of the upcoming IPL 2026 season.
Madhya Pradesh’s ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 clash against Jharkhand on January 6 in Ahmedabad saw RCB’s two key stars, Venkatesh Iyer and Rajat Patidar, in action.
RCB Injury Scare: Venkatesh Iyer Retired Hurt During Rajat Patidar’s Comeback Match
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have been dealt a potential blow ahead of IPL 2026 as their star all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer suffered an injury scare during Madhya Pradesh’s Vijay Hazare Trophy clash against Jharkhand.
The RCB received the injury scare on the same day their captain, Rajat Patidar, made his long-awaited comeback to competitive cricket on Tuesday.
Venkatesh Iyer Injury Update: Early Trouble Raises Alarm
The day started with a scare for RCB fans when Madhya Pradesh captain Venkatesh Iyer was forced to retire hurt almost immediately after coming to bat at number five. Iyer managed just 1 run from 5 balls before discomfort forced him to leave the field, raising fresh concerns around RCB’s ongoing injury curse ahead of the upcoming IPL 2026.
However, Iyer showed grit by walking back out to bat later in the innings, but he was clearly not at his best. The star all-rounder could face only nine more deliveries, adding 8 runs, before being run out by Shubman Singh. His short stay was not a great sign for both RCB and Madhya Pradesh.
No Fireworks on Rajat Patidar’s Comeback
On the other hand, Rajat Patidar’s long-awaited return to competitive cricket also failed to produce fireworks. The Madhya Pradesh batter scored 29 runs off 37 balls but could not convert his start. He was clean bowled by Anukul Roy, failing to make a strong comeback.
RCB in Injury Crisis Mode; Patidar the Only Relief
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru are facing significant injury concerns ahead of IPL 2026, as their key players Phil Salt (back injury), Tim David (Grade 2 hamstring strain), and Josh Hazlewood (hamstring strain and Achilles tendon issue) are recovering from injuries.
Their availability for the next season is under the dark clouds, and now Venkatesh Iyer’s fresh setback has put the RCB in a serious spot. Additionally, Yash Dayal is battling legal issues and is highly likely to miss the next season, as his sexual exploitation and rape cases are ongoing in the Allahabad High Court and Jaipur’s POSCO court.
The only good thing is that Patidar recovered from an ankle injury and returned to action. However, Patidar’s delayed entry into the Vijay Hazare Trophy was not due to any fresh injury.
The RCB captain was advised to rest as part of a slow and careful workload plan, as he had only recently recovered from a left ankle issue ahead of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He is now building up gradually for the IPL 2026 season.
Lower Order to the Rescue as MP Stumbles to 277
Madhya Pradesh was eventually bowled out for 277 against Jharkhand. The rescue act came from the lower middle order. Number six and substitute batter Akshat Raghuwanshi played a crucial knock of 64 runs off 61 balls, while number eight Shivang Kumar chipped in with an aggressive 67 to push the team to a fighting total on the board after the top and middle order’s failure.
Only Shubham Sharma contributed 34 runs from the lineup, except for Akshat and Shivang. For Jharkhand, Utkarsh Singh was the standout bowler with a stunning spell of 3/30 in 7 overs, while Bal Krishna and Shushant Mishra each scalped two wickets against Madhya Pradesh.