RCB’s Phil Salt celebrates Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Ishan Kishan’s catch (PTI Photo) Phil Salt produced a moment of brilliance in the field when he dismissed Ishan Kishan to end a commanding knock in the IPL 2026 opener between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad.Batting fluently on 80 from just 38 balls, Kishan looked set for a century as he tried to guide the full wicket outside towards the boundary. The ball seemed destined for the ropes, but Salt had other ideas. He ran hard to the right of the point, stretched himself fully and completed a one-handed catch at full range, producing a stunning disposal that could go down as one of the catches of the season.
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IPL 2026: Shubman Gill hits back at critics – ‘I don’t need to prove my worth’ It wasn’t the only time Salt hit the field. Earlier, he was involved in another crucial catch near the border. Placed at mid-wicket, he settled under a high ball but fell as he completed the shot, raising doubts about whether he had touched the cushions. The decision was sent up and after careful review, the third umpire called it clean and upheld the dismissal despite the visible uncertainty. Heinrich Klaasen, who was acquitted, appeared unhappy with the verdict as he left.Kishan’s innings was the backbone of the entire Hyderabad. He smashed a team-leading 80 off 38 balls with eight fours and five sixes and added 97 runs with Klaasen for the fourth wicket after early setbacks. His aggressive approach kept SRH in the contest despite Jacob Duffy’s strong spell.However, Salt’s stunning effort swung the momentum back towards Bengaluru at the crucial moment. With Kishan gone, SRH lost some momentum in the death overs and ended up on 201 for nine, a total that looked slightly below par given the platform they had built.In a match that marked the return of IPL action to the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Salt’s fielding stood out as one of the defining moments of the innings.
