Phil Salt takes dig at Dinesh Karthik, calls out bias after RCB vs SRH clash

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) opener Phil Salt expressed his disappointment after Dinesh Karthik omitted his stunning catch from a celebratory post. Following the IPL 2026 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Karthik posted a message for the Royal Challengers but excluded Salt's fielding effort.

Royal Challengers chased down a 202-run target against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, March 28. Fast bowler Jacob Duffy was named Player of the Match for his impressive bowling performance. Duffy picked up three wickets while conceding just 22 runs in his four overs.

Phil Salt Calls Out Dinesh Karthik for Excluding His Catch in the Post

Following the victory, Dinesh Karthik took to Instagram to share his excitement about the positive start to the campaign. He posted pictures highlighting the batting contributions of Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, and Rajat Patidar, along with the impactful bowling debut of Jacob Duffy.

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“Perfect start,” Karthik captioned his post.

Phil Salt’s spectacular diving catch to dismiss Ishan Kishan was missing from the photo carousel. Salt playfully called out Karthik for not including his contribution to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“Nothing for the catch mastermind? Shame,” Salt replied.

Phil Salt's comment on Dinesh Karthik's Instagram post for not having his catch's picture. 🤣❤️ pic.twitter.com/flvKkCHKpT

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 29, 2026

Phil Salt’s Stunning Catch Turns the Game Against Sunrisers Hyderabad

Before the brilliant fielding effort by Phil Salt, Ishan Kishan was on 80 off just 38 deliveries. During the 16th over, bowled by Abhinandan Singh, Kishan, looking set for a century, attempted to guide a full toss outside off stump toward the boundary.

As the ball flew through the air, Salt reacted quickly from the point position. He sprinted to his right and stretched fully, taking a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Kishan and stop Sunrisers Hyderabad’s scoring momentum.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru restricted Sunrisers Hyderabad to 201 for 9. The England opening batter took three catches in the match, including the dismissals of Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen.

Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal Lead the Chase

During the run chase, Royal Challengers Bengaluru lost Phil Salt early in the innings. However, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal steadied things and put pressure on the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling attack in the powerplay.

Devdutt Padikkal impressed the home crowd with his stroke play, using good footwork and timing. The left-handed batter reached his half-century in just 21 deliveries with a boundary off Harshal Patel, keeping Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of the required run rate.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli anchored the chase with his drives and flicks against Jaydev Unadkat and Eshan Malinga. He guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a comfortable win, marking a strong start against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League 2026.

Padikkal scored 61 runs off 26 balls, including seven boundaries and four sixes at a strike rate of 234.62. Kohli remained unbeaten on 69 runs off 38 balls, hitting five boundaries and five sixes. RCB, led by Rajat Patidar, will next face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at home on Sunday, April 5.

Also read: Mitchell Starc issues official statement on his IPL 2026 availability