Phil Salt is returning to India and will join the RCB before the IPL 2026 playoffs in what is a major boost for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru franchise.
The English wicketkeeper-batter is set to land in the country this week having returned home to recover from a thumb injury, according to sources. RCB has already sealed a place in the playoffs after winning nine of their 13 league matches under the leadership of Rajat Patidar.
The crucial comeback will be instrumental for RCB as they aim to defend their IPL title going into the playoffs.
The swashbuckling opener formed a formidable opening partnership with Virat Kohli earlier in the season, before he picked up an injury. Salt has scored 202 runs at an average of 33.67 and a strike rate of 168.33 during the 2026 IPL before injury.
Phil Salt Missed Seven Matches
Salt was injured in the field during a game against Delhi Capitals earlier in the season. The injury resulted in him missing seven matches for the RCB franchise.
The England batter returned home for the treatment and spent some time with his family.
In his absence, youngster Jacob Bethell was picked in the playing eleven by the Bangalore franchise and opened the innings with Kohli. However, the left-hander was only able to score 96 runs in seven innings, averaging just 13.71.
Despite missing Salt, the RCB continued to dominate the IPL 2026, with Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Tim David and Venkatesh Iyer making crucial contributions with the bat while Bhuvneshwar Kumar was spectacular with the ball.
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Participation Still Depends on Fitness
Though Salt's comeback to the team seems imminent, there's no definitive confirmation regarding his availability for the remainder of the IPL fixtures.
Reports suggest that RCB is unlikely to push Salt into action before his medical clearance is confirmed by the team's medical team. As a result, there is a chance that Salt might miss RCB's last league match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on May 22nd.
If Salt is unavailable, it's more likely that Bethell will partner with Kohli at the top.
RCB's crucial victory over the Punjab Kings meant that they became the first side to seal their berth in the IPL 2026 playoffs. As the knockout stages loom large, Salt'
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