When RCB bagged Phil Salt in the IPL 2025 auction for Rs. 11.5 million, it was considered a masterstroke. Bengaluru have been searching for years to find the ideal partner for Virat Kohli at the top. They had some success with Faf du Plessis, but the South African batsman was coming to the end of his career and they needed someone younger and for the future.
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Salt enjoyed his breakthrough season with KKR, coming on as a substitute player and then playing a vital role in their title triumph in 2024. Given his success in 2023 in T20Is, it was a surprise that he was not claimed in the auction. But one man’s loss was another’s gain.
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The England wicketkeeper scored 435 runs for KKR at a strike rate of 182.01. So when RCB got him, he became an instant darling of the fan base. Salt ended up scoring 403 runs in 13 matches and achieved the rare feat of winning the IPL in consecutive seasons with two different teams. RCB thought they had finally found someone who would allow Kohli to play his natural game.
But things haven’t been great for the England goalkeeper of late. In 10 T20Is in 2026, Salt has just 177 runs at an average of 17.7 and a strike rate of 148.73. And only with one fifty.
The 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup was probably the lowest point in Salt’s England career so far. He scored just 130 runs in 8 matches. The strike rate was 158.53 and his average was 16.25.
But IPL 2026 will be the venue where does Salt find his redemption?
SALT PROCEEDS IN IPL
Since his IPL debut in 2023, Salt has found himself among the top 20 batsmen in terms of runs scored. He has 1056 runs in 34 matches at an average of 34.06. This makes him the 5th highest winner among foreigners. His strike rate of 175.7 is the fifth-highest among foreigners who have played 15 or more games in that time period, ranking him ahead of Heinrich Klaasen and Tim David. Salt was the deciding factor in RCB’s triumph in IPL 2025. (Photo: Reuters)
These numbers show that Salt will always step up when it comes to the IPL. He has scored at least two fifties in every IPL season since his debut.
THE KOHLI CONNECTION
One of the best things about Salt during his tenure at RCB was how quickly he bonded with Kohli right at the top. You felt there was a freedom in Kohli’s bat once the England keeper came on and the numbers don’t lie.
The RCB duo scored 565 runs in 13 matches, the third best batting pair last season. They had six fifty-run stands and an average of 43.46. That certainly got Mo Bobat, RCB’s director of cricket, all fired up and he expects the duo to rekindle the magic. The same one that won them the IPL title last season. Virat Kohli and Phil Salt likely to open for RCB in IPL 2026. (Photo: Reuters)
“I’m looking forward to watching him and Virat go out with the bat like they did. A couple of gladiators coming out, which is always exciting. And they’ll be looking to put the opposition under pressure. We’ve got a lot of confidence in our team. A huge amount of confidence in Phil Salt and I’m sure he’ll go out there and do his thing,” Bobat said.
TRUST FROM THE MANAGEMENT
Usually, when a player doesn’t start at their best, it’s always easy to look for the next best option. In the case of RCB, they have Jacob Bethell in their ranks who has been sensational for England in all formats of the game. The memories of that hundred in Mumbai against India in the T20 World Cup semi-final are still fresh.
Or you can easily play Venkatesh Iyer, a big money buy and someone who has had success as an opener in the IPL. But RCB seem to have put all their weight into Salt to deliver again.
“Well, that doesn’t concern me. We’ve got a high-quality team and as we saw last year, our strongest team, which we’ve aired most of the time, is full of mostly guys who are playing or have played international cricket. So these guys are seasoned professionals. They know what they’re doing. Someone like Phil Salt is still on the Bobat World T20 rankings.
“So there’s enough depth of trust there. He’s also really enjoying working with RCB. He’s enjoying the franchise. He’s enjoying his partnership with Virat. He’s working very well with people like Andy and DK. So they’re doing a really good job right now. And I’m pretty sure we’ll see Phil do his thing at the start of the season.”
As Salt struggles to find himself again, this could be the confidence he finally needs to excel. If the last three seasons are anything to go by, except for the England goalkeeper to start scoring quickly after every serve.
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Published on:
28 March 2026 15:09 IST
