Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) suffered a massive blow as their destructive opener Phil Salt has travelled back to the UK for scans on a finger injury that forced him to miss the last three matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
When Salt got the finger injury and who will feature in his place?
However, in Salt's absence, England's destructive batter Jacob Bethell will feature as opener alongside Virat Kohli in the upcoming matches of the tournament.
According to ESPN, the defending champions have not yet shared any official details about the injury. However, reports suggest that Phil Salt hurt a finger on his left hand while trying to stop the ball near the boundary during the second innings of their home loss to Delhi Capitals on April 18.
Phil Salt's performance in IPL 2026
Salt had started the season in great form. He scored 202 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 168.33, giving RCB quick and aggressive starts at the top.
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The report also says that both Salt and the team are hopeful that he will recover soon and return to India later this month, as RCB continue their bid to defend the IPL title they won for the first time last season.
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This injury has come at a bad time for Salt. He had earlier spoken highly about the team environment under director of cricket Mo Bobat, head coach Andy Flower, and batting mentor Dinesh Karthik. He was also getting back into form in the IPL after a quiet T20 World Cup with England.
RCB Players chilling in Maldives ahead of LSG clash
Rajat Patidar-led RCB are currently on a six-day break after their loss to Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad. Some players have used this time to take a short trip to the Maldives before their next match against Lucknow Super Giants on Thursday.