Daijiworld Media Network - Dharamsala
Dharamsala, May 25: Phil Salt remains doubtful for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 clash against Gujarat Titans, with skipper Rajat Patidar saying the team management was yet to finalise the playing XI.
Salt, known for his explosive starts at the top of the order, missed most of RCB’s league-stage matches due to a finger injury and had travelled to England for treatment.
In his absence, Jacob Bethell filled the opener’s role but struggled to make a major impact, while Venkatesh Iyer opened against Sunrisers Hyderabad and played a quick-fire knock in RCB’s final league-stage fixture.
Asked about Salt’s availability ahead of Tuesday’s Qualifier 1 at the HPCA Stadium, Patidar avoided giving a clear confirmation.
“He is fit and doing drills, but we have not decided the playing XI yet,” Patidar said.
The RCB captain also acknowledged the growing challenges faced by bowlers in an IPL season increasingly dominated by high-scoring matches.
Patidar said even totals above 220 and 250 were no longer safe in modern T20 cricket, especially with batting-friendly conditions and smaller boundaries.
“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 said.
“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,” he added.
Patidar also responded cautiously to questions surrounding the IPL final being shifted from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad.
“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,” he said.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reportedly shifted the final to Ahmedabad citing operational issues and local political complications, including crowd management and excessive ticket requests.
RCB and Gujarat Titans finished the league stage with identical points and will now battle for a direct place in the IPL final.
Patidar described the contest as an evenly matched clash between two strong sides.
“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,” he said.