Good news for RCB fans as Phil Salt set to return before IPL 2026 Playoffs

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have received a major boost ahead of the IPL 2026 playoffs as star opener Phil Salt is expected to return to India later this week after recovering from the finger injury that kept him out for nearly a month.

The England wicketkeeper-batter had travelled back home after injuring his left hand during RCB’s defeat against Delhi Capitals at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18. Salt suffered the injury while diving near the boundary rope during the afternoon clash and was ruled out soon after.

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Phil Salt set to rejoin RCB squad

According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, Salt is now ready to return and rejoin the Royal Challengers Bengaluru camp ahead of the business end of the tournament.

However, the report also mentioned that RCB are unlikely to rush him back immediately, especially with the playoffs approaching.

“It remains to be seen if Salt will be available to play in RCB’s final league-stage match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday, but they are unlikely to take any risks so close to the playoffs,” the report stated.

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RCB eye top-two finish before playoffs

Despite Salt’s absence over the last few weeks, RCB have already secured qualification for the IPL 2026 playoffs and remain strong contenders to finish inside the top two.

A top-two finish would guarantee them a place in Qualifier 1, scheduled to be played next week at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.

RCB’s impressive consistency during the second half of the season has kept them among the strongest teams in the tournament despite injury concerns around a few senior players.

Phil Salt made strong impact before injury

Before getting injured, Salt had played an important role at the top of the order for RCB this season.

The aggressive opener scored 202 runs in six innings and maintained a brilliant strike rate of 168.33, regularly giving the team explosive starts during the Powerplay.

His attacking partnership with Virat Kohli quickly became one of RCB’s biggest strengths early in the season.

Jacob Bethell struggles to replace Salt

After Salt’s injury, fellow England batter Jacob Bethell was used as Kohli’s opening partner.

However, Bethell has struggled to make a major impact and has scored only 96 runs in seven innings with a highest score of 27.

His place in the playing XI could now come under pressure, especially after Venkatesh Iyer impressed with an unbeaten 73 against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala.

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Venkatesh Iyer steps up for Bengaluru

RCB were also without regular captain Rajat Patidar during the Punjab Kings match after he suffered a helmet blow from a sharp bouncer delivered by Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Kartik Tyagi in the previous game.

With Patidar unavailable, Venkatesh Iyer grabbed his opportunity and produced a match-winning innings under pressure.

His performance has now given RCB another strong batting option heading into the playoffs as the franchise prepares for the final phase of IPL 2026.