Phil Salt, an opening batsman known for his aggressive play, was sidelined for a significant portion of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s league stage due to an injury. His replacement, Jacob Bethell, struggled to make a substantial contribution. In contrast, Venkatesh Iyer delivered a rapid scoring performance as an opener in RCB’s final league stage fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The defending champions are scheduled to compete against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 on Tuesday. A key consideration now is the potential involvement of Phil Salt in this upcoming match.
When questioned regarding the availability of opener Phil Salt, who recently returned from England following treatment for a finger injury, RCB captain Rajat Patidar offered an indirect response.
Patidar stated, “He is fit and doing drills, but we have not decided the playing XI yet.”
Patidar addressed the escalating challenges confronting bowlers within the IPL, a league increasingly characterized by total scores exceeding 200 runs, while simultaneously avoiding comment on the decision to relocate the final from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad. Prior to the Qualifier 1 match against Gujarat Titans on Tuesday, Patidar recognized that even totals ranging from 220 to 250 runs were no longer consistently secure within the tournament, identifying this trend as a particular concern for bowlers, especially fast bowlers.
During the pre-match media interaction, Patidar articulated, “I feel it is more challenging for the bowlers. The wickets are batting-friendly, the boundaries are smaller, and there is dew as well. Especially for fast bowlers, even a small mistake goes for six.”
He further added, “But whatever wicket or conditions we get, we just try to do our best on that. It is not in my hands to decide how the wickets should be.”
Patidar offered a measured reply when questioned about the relocation of the IPL final from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad.
He stated, “It’s not in my control. This is a historic site, so wherever the final is going to be, that’s where it is going to be. We are focused on reaching the final.”
The BCCI relocated the title match to Ahmedabad, citing a combination of operational challenges and local political complexities, specifically mentioning issues such as high demand for tickets and concerns regarding crowd management.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans, having concluded the league stage with an equal number of points, are set to compete for direct entry into the final. Patidar characterized this encounter as a clash between two demonstrably well-matched teams.
He commented, “Both teams have done pretty well throughout the season. On the given day, whichever team executes its plans better and stays calm under pressure is going to win.”
