Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has confirmed that they’ll be without Phil Salt for the match against Delhi Capitals (DC). Salt missed the last game against the Gujarat Titans due to injury, and batting coach Dinesh Karthik confirmed that the opener won’t be considered for selection against DC. Speaking ahead of the clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Karthik said that Salt is ‘injured for the moment’, ending all speculation about his return.
The extent and nature of Salt’s injury remain unconfirmed, but his absence will definitely be a worry for RCB, who have relied on Salt for brisk starts. In the absence of Phil Salt, RCB opened with Jacob Bethell, but he failed to make much of an impact.
Why Phil Salt Is Important For RCB
Phil Salt has scored 202 runs in six matches in IPL 2026 at an average of 33.66 and a strike rate of 168.33. These are solid numbers given the fact that Virat Kohli at the other end plays the anchor role and tries to play as long as possible. He has been in terrific form in IPL 2026 and has played a major role in RCB’s success. But credit must also go to Phil Salt, who has given the team brisk starts and taken the pressure off Kohli.
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Jacob Bethell: A Good Replacement
Jacob Bethell replaced Salt at the top, and he is not a bad replacement at all. Bethell is also very destructive and can emulate Salt’s role at RCB. Also, he is a left-hander and adds to the left-right combination. Batting with the field will help him fetch quick runs, and if he’s in the mood, he can cause some real damage to the opposition.
RCB Inches Closer To Playoffs
RCB are second in the table with five wins and two defeats. They have one foot in the semifinals, but the tournament is only half done. RCB need to continue what they’re doing because IPL is a competitive tournament, and things can change fast. Also, RCB won’t play more games at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, so that takes away some advantage.
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Karthik Praises Virat Kohli
Meanwhile, Karthik was all in praise of Virat Kohli for his stunning performances and said the way he rediscovers himself every passing year is truly remarkable.
“Credit to him, that man constantly rediscovers with every passing year. And for him to keep up with the pace of this game, and some of the newer players are batting at insane strike rates, and he is going shoulder to shoulder with them and producing match-winning performances. So I marvel at how he rediscovers himself every year, almost,” Karthik said.
“That man goes back every year, and he is assessing what he has done. And he almost comes with a very stubborn plan about how he wants to go about it. And he gets it done not on match days alone but the way he practices as well. And he has a method to how he goes about it and he’s constantly checking himself in practice,” Karthik said.
