0, 4, 5, 23 and 55: Philip Salt’s T20I outing against India in January left Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans worried about his IPL stint. Fans were concerned about how he would negotiate the spin attack. But the English opener has calmed the fans’ nerves with a blitzkrieg of a knock against Kolkata Knight Riders, especially against Varun Chakaravarthy. He launched an assault against the best spinner of IPL 2025 with 4, 4, 6 and 4 in the powerplay, hammering 20 runs.
He smashed a 25-ball half-century to begin the IPL campaign, ending Chakaravarthy’s spin mystery.
PHIL SALT SMASHED 4,6,4,4 AGAINST VARUN CHAKRAVARTHY.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 22, 2025pic.twitter.com/gPgEyC85gu
Brute force vs ex-team
Phil Salt knows KKR better than anyone in RCB. He was part of the KKR template that launched an assault in the powerplay. He followed the same template against his former team.
He began with a boundary to show glimpses of what was to come. And there was no stopping him. His 56-run knock of 31 deliveries included nine fours and two sixes.
With Virat Kohli equally in destructive form, Salt added 95 runs in 51 deliveries. In Powerplay, RCB posted 80/0, their second-highest score in the first six overs of field restrictions.
Initially, he was snubbed at the IPL 2024 Auction. But as he came in as a replacement player for KKR, he scored 435 runs at an 182.01 strike rate. That was one of the reasons why KKR lifted the title.
Phil Salt in run-chases different beast
However, those who paid Rs 11.50 Crore for Salt would know what he is capable of. The big price tag is mainly for Salt’s expertise in chase. In IPL, he has played 10 innings in a chase, scoring 435 runs at a strike rate of 175.40. It also included five half-centuries.
In fact, it was Dinesh Karthik, who was appointed as RCB’s batting coach, who wanted Salt desperately. And RCB made no mistakes.
Phil Salt in IPL run-chases
- Inns: 10
- Runs: 435
- 50s: 5
- Avg: 48.33
- SR: 175.40
