The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are a tough decision to take. Their regular opener, Phil Salt, may not be 100% fit for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Qualifier 1 match against the Gujarat Titans (GT). The Englishman had injured his finger and returned to England for further assessment and rehabilitation on May 4.
Salt had featured in the first 6 matches but missed the remainder of the league stage, returning just before the IPL 2026 Playoffs. Unfortunately for RCB, Salt’s backup, Jacob Bethell, also sustained a finger injury and won’t take further participation in the tournament.
Phil Salt to miss Qualifier 1?
It was expected that Salt would be available. However, he might not be available for selection. On the eve of the RCB vs GT match, Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar has stated that Salt remains under observation, and they haven’t finalised the team yet.
“Salt is fit; he is under observation. But we have not decided yet on our playing XI. We will look at the wicket, and then we will decide,” Patidar told reporters in Dharamshala on the eve of Qualifier 1.
The statement seems like a code for saying ‘Salt won’t play.’ Teams don’t like to confirm the unavailability of a certain player to keep the opposition guessing. The opener did turn up for practice but didn’t bat in the nets. Make of that what you will.
Find someone who runs with you and keeps the runs coming with you. #PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2026 pic.twitter.com/5XvSgANx7v
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 25, 2026Should RCB persist with Venkatesh Iyer?
In Bethell’s absence, Venkatesh Iyer opened the batting with Virat Kohli and scored 44 off 19 in the last league stage match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 22. Traditionally a middle-order batter, RCB has used Venkatesh as a floater, and he did more than enough as the makeshift opener.
Now, RCB has to make a tough decision. Either play Salt, who may or may not be 100%, or persist with Venkatesh. Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull, believes RCB should persist with the latter. He believes Salt’s lack of gametime can hurt Bengaluru, and it’s better to stick with in-form Venkatesh, who has scored 158 runs at a strike rate of 177.52 in 4 innings.
“I would stick with Venkatesh Iyer as the opener alongside Virat Kohli. Phil Salt has been out for three and a half weeks. Coming back from a long layoff, especially with a finger injury, is never easy. He is a quality player and has done well for RCB and England in T20s, but match fitness and shot-timing take time to return. The playoffs are not the place to test that. Venkatesh has looked good in the last two games. He played well against SRH and was also good against Punjab,” Doull said on JioStar.
“He has struck a solid rhythm at the top with Kohli. Yes, Salt has a stronger partnership record with Virat, but in cricket, you always go with the player in form. Form matters more than reputation, especially in knockout games. The biggest risk is bringing in someone who hasn’t played competitive cricket for weeks. I would continue with Venkatesh at the top. Phil Salt is too good an option to have on the bench, but right now, Venkatesh deserves to keep his place,” he added.
Should RCB stick with Venkatesh Iyer-Virat Kohli as openers for Qualifier 1, bench Phil Salt? Inside Sport India.
Hence then, the article about should rcb stick with venkatesh iyer virat kohli as openers for qualifier 1 bench phil salt was published today ( ) and is available on Inside sport ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Should RCB stick with Venkatesh Iyer-Virat Kohli as openers for Qualifier 1, bench Phil Salt? )
Also on site :
- Lanka Premier League sees 650 overseas player registration after bizarre social media rule
- Brits to neck 11 Olympic-sized swimming pools of booze in £3.8bn World Cup bonanza
- Hamilton and Verstappen thrilled by Canadian GP battle: ‘It was mad’