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Phil Salt has joined the team. He is spotted in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during their match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). From the official social media account of RCB, they have informed about the return of the English opener.
It is a major boost for the defending champions ahead of their play-off games. Will he be available to play for the RCB from their very next game?
When will Phil Salt play next for RCB in IPL 2026?
During the first innings of the SRH vs RCB match, the batting coach and mentor of RCB, Dinesh Karthik, confirmed that Phil Salt has joined the squad, which is very good news for the team. But he did not confirm Salt’s next match in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
“Salt is back, and we are happy monitoring his progress. Let's see how it goes,” Dinesh Karthik said.
Salt came out from a long injury lay-off
Phil Salt has missed a significant part of the injury because of a long injury lay-off. The experienced batter was the regular opener for RCB. In his absence, the team management has tried out different combinations to find a proper backup for Salt. His absence not only reduced the squad's overall strength, but also the balance inside.
Phil Salt injured a finger on his left hand while attempting to stop a boundary during Bengaluru's match against the Delhi Capitals on April 18. After sustaining the injury, he went back to his home in England.
Without the pair of Phil Salt and Virat Kohli at the top of the batting order, RCB had to struggle during the initial stage of the matches. But still, they've managed to go through to the play-offs again. A win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad will keep them in the first position of the IPL 2026 points table, and if they lose, they can end their group stage as the second-ranked team because of their net run rate.
Before heading back home, Phil Salt played six matches in the IPL 2026 season and scored 202 runs for a batting average of 33.67 and a strike rate of 168. 33. In those six innings, he scored two fifties and a 46.
Jacob Bethell struggled as an opener
RCB tried out Salt's England cricket teammate Jacob Bethell as the back-up opener, but it did not work according to their expectations. A young veteran batter struggled to make an impact with the bat. So far, he has scored 96 runs in seven innings with a top score of 27. As Salt is in the room and Venkatesh Iyer is on form, Bethell's position in the playing combination can be under scrutiny.
Ahead of the toss of tonight's match, RCB captain Rajat Patidar informed that Jacob Bethell has received a finger injury, which is why he is not picked to face the Sunrisers Hyderabad. There are not many details about the injury Patidar mentioned.
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