Royal Challengers Bengaluru mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik has confirmed that Phil Salt will not feature against the Delhi Capitals on Monday, as he continues to recover from an unspecified injury.
Salt had missed RCB’s previous game against the Gujarat Titans as well, and Karthik’s update has now ruled out an immediate return. While the team has not disclosed the exact nature of the injury, it means RCB will once again be without one of their first-choice overseas openers.
Karthik, speaking ahead of RCB’s clash against Delhi Capitals, confirmed that Salt has not recovered in time. The former stated that Salt is ‘injured for the moment’, putting to rest any hopes of his return for the match.
The update carries weight as Salt has been central
to RCB’s preferred opening combination this season. His role at the top has been clear: take on the new ball, apply pressure in the Powerplay and permit Virat Kohli the flexibility to either settle in or dictate terms based on the situation.
Salt’s absence first came to light during RCB’s April 24 clash against the Gujarat Titans, when captain Rajat Patidar revealed at the toss that the opener was injured.
With Salt unavailable, Jacob Bethell was drafted in and opened the innings alongside Kohli.
RCB went on to defeat Gujarat Titans by five wickets, with Kohli leading the chase through an unbeaten 81. Bethell, stepping in for Salt, managed 14. While the victory over GT showed RCB can cope without him, Salt’s continued absence keeps the opening combination under scrutiny ahead of the Delhi Capitals clash.
Salt has scored 202 runs in six games in IPL 2026 at an average of 33.66 and a strike rate of 168.33, numbers that highlight his impact for RCB this season. More than just an overseas inclusion, Salt has been a key Powerplay aggressor, giving the innings early momentum.
