England opening batsman Phil Salt has returned to India to join the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad for the remainder of IPL 2026. The wicketkeeper-batsman had earlier flown back to England for a medical scan after suffering a finger injury while fielding against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Royal Challengers Bangalore will next face Mumbai Indians (MI) on Sunday, May 10 in Raipur. The Rajat Patidar-led side has suffered consecutive defeats recently but still have a strong chance of topping the IPL 2026 points table with a win over Mumbai Indians, who are placed ninth in the standings.
Phil Salt has come to India – former KKR director Joy Bhattacharya
Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) director Joey Bhattacharya talked about his excitement about Phil Salt’s return to India. He revealed that the broadcasters and fans were closely monitoring social media updates to confirm the arrival of the opener ahead of the crucial stage of IPL 2026.
“Everyone from our production team is running after social media to see where Phil Salt is. So Phil Salt has come to India,” Joey Bhattacharya said on Cricbuzz.
Phil Salt has come to India. 🔥
– Joy Bhattacharya (Source – Cricbuzz) pic.twitter.com/bbQQkdFx9s
-Sohail. (@SohelVkf) 10 May 2026
The league is over, the dawn is back pic.twitter.com/fEFQFMdMtq
– Sir Jacob Bethell Era (@bet_hell) 10 May 2026
Many foreign cricketers have recently returned home for medical evaluation during IPL 2026. Pat Cummins also left the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) team to seek clearance from Cricket Australia after the scans.
Will Phil Salt March go to Raipur or not? -Joy Bhattacharya
Joey Bhattacharya further discussed the possible impact of Phil Salt’s return to the playing XI for the crucial phase of IPL 2026. He said the availability of Salt for the upcoming match in Raipur could give a big boost to Royal Challengers Bangalore as the race for the playoffs heats up.
Bhattacharya said, “Whether Salt will march towards Raipur or not is a question. If he reaches Raipur, I think if Phil Salt is there, it will be a big boost to the team.”
Salt was enjoying a stellar IPL season before suffering a finger injury. He scored 202 runs in six innings at an average of 33.67 and a strike rate of 168.33. The England and Wales Cricket Board asked him to return home for medical assessment, causing him to miss recent matches for the Royal Challengers.
Phil Salt’s return could put pressure on Jacob Bethel and Jitesh Sharma
Jacob Bethel was included in the playing eleven after Phil Salt injured his finger. However, the left-handed batsman has struggled to make an impact and has managed only 43 runs in four matches, scoring 14, 20, 5 and 4 while opening the innings.
Meanwhile, Jitesh Sharma has failed to replicate last season’s form, scoring only 64 runs in eight innings at a disappointing average of 8 and a strike rate of 108.47.
The wicketkeeper-batsman could score only 1 run in 3 balls against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), raising new questions over his place in the team. If Phil Salt is declared fit to play, he can resume the responsibility of wicketkeeping. If Salt returns to the playing eleven, Bethel could be demoted down the batting order.
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