IPL 2026: RCB receive major playoff boost with Phil Salt set to return this week

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to receive a major boost for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs with England batter Phil Salt poised to return to the country later this week after recovering from a finger injury.

Salt sustained his injury whilst trying to stop a boundary during RCB’s game against the Delhi Capitals on April 18 and has not featured for the defending champions since. Over the course of his recovery, the right-handed batter decided to return to England and spend time with his family, but is now set to come back for the latter stages of the tournament. 

Despite missing Salt for as many as seven matches this season, RCB have secured their place in the last four of the IPL and are in the driver’s seat to secure a spot in Qualifier 1, giving them two chances of reaching the showpiece final in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 31.

In his absence, the Royal Challengers opted to go with Salt’s international colleague, Jacob Bethell, to open the innings alongside Virat Kohli. The left-hander, who scored a magnificent century in the T20 World Cup semi-final before the IPL, has not had the best of times at the top of the order. Bethell has scored a mere 96 from seven innings, averaging 13.71 whilst striking at less than 125. 

It is widely expected that Salt will go straight into RCB’s playing XI once he is back at Bethell’s expense. According to ESPNcricinfo, however, the new Welsh Fire captain might not feature against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their final league game to avoid any unnecessary risks ahead of the playoffs. 

Before hurting his finger, Salt featured in six matches for RCB this season, scoring 202 runs at a strike-rate of 168.33. He hit two half-centuries, including a score of 63 against the Capitals in the game he got injured. 

Salt returns to England for scans on injured finger

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Salt returns to England for scans on injured finger

It is also worth mentioning that RCB skipper Rajat Patidar missed their latest game against the Punjab Kings. The right-hander, however, is expected to make a return against SRH, which is yet another positive news for the Bengaluru-based side as they aim to become only the third side in IPL history to retain the title after the Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.