Since its inception, the IPL has been known for mixing cricket with pop culture, and IPL 2026 witnessed yet another such moment. While playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their record-breaking innings against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala, Venkatesh Iyer shone through with not just his bat but his celebration after hitting his half-century. By doing the same pose that was made popular by the movie Mersal starring Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor Vijay, Venkatesh brought about the next social media sensation during the game. As Venkatesh celebrated his innings, Vijay Fever Reached IPL 2026 As RCB Star Pays Tribute With Fifty Celebration emerged as one of the most talked-about topics in IPL 2026.
Venkatesh Iyer is now in his element in IPL 2026. Over the four games he played in this tournament, he has already accumulated 114 runs with an impressive strike rate over 162. In his innings against Punjab Kings, however, Venkatesh showed his best form. Deputising at the number four position due to an injury to Rajat Patidar, Venkatesh was unbeaten on 73 runs off 40 deliveries.
The Six That Sparked the Vijay Tribute
The defining moment came in the 16th over. Venkatesh launched Lockie Ferguson for a towering six to bring up his first half-century of the season. As the ball sailed over the ropes, the HPCA Stadium erupted. Then came the celebration. Venkatesh paused and struck Vijay’s trademark Mersal pose. The crowd responded immediately, and social media followed within minutes. Fans shared clips and side-by-side images comparing the batter’s gesture with the original movie scene.
The celebration capped a commanding innings. Venkatesh attacked both pace and spin with confidence. He used the short boundaries well and punished anything in his arc. His partnership with Tim David, who blasted 28 off 12 balls, gave RCB a powerful finish. Before that, Virat Kohli had set the platform with 58 off 37 balls, while Devdutt Padikkal added 45 off 25. Their 76-run stand for the second wicket ensured RCB maintained a run rate above 10 an over.
RCB Seal Playoff Spot as First Team to Qualify
It was the batting department of RCB that played a crucial role in winning the match against the Punjab team. As champions, RCB scored 224 runs and won by 23 runs over Punjab Kings, which had scored 222 for 4 in a high-scoring game. RCB is now sitting on 18 points from their 13 matches, thereby becoming the first team in IPL 2026 to qualify for the playoffs. What is significant, however, is that RCB have been consistent during the entire season.
On the other hand, Punjab Kings continued to struggle as they suffered defeat in their sixth consecutive match, with even a win in their last league match possibly not being enough for a place among the top four teams in the table. However, it was much more than qualification for RCB as it also proved their strength in having Kohli for stability, Padikkal for momentum, and Venkatesh for the highlight act, with his 73* innings along with a Bollywood-style celebration.
