Phil Salt returns to England after suffering finger injury, RCB sweating over his availability for remainder of IPL 2026

Phil Salt, the RCB opener, has travelled back to England after suffering a finger injury.

Updated on: May 4, 2026, 16:05:08 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Phil Salt, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) opener, has travelled back to England, and there is no update on whether the batter will join the defending champions for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 edition. According to ESPNcricinfo, the right-handed batter suffered a finger injury, and this is the main reason behind his non-participation in the last few games for the franchise. Ever since Salt was sidelined, RCB has remained tight-lipped, and no official update has been issued on the matter. However, an ESPNcricinfo report has now confirmed that Salt is indeed injured.

Phil Salt, the RCB opener, has travelled back to England (AFP)

Salt has now gone back to the UK for scans on his finger injury, and this means that Jacob Bethell is all set to get an extended run in the IPL 2026 season. RCB are yet to reveal the extent of the batter's injury.

Also Read: Phil Salt ruled out with injury of the Delhi Capitals match, RCB give confirmation

The 29-year-old damaged the finger on his left hand when he dived to save a boundary at deep backward square leg in the sixth over of the Delhi Capitals' batting innings during the match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18. Salt started the season well for RCB, smashing 202 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 168.33, and so far, Bethell has been unable to replicate the same form.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Salt, who is centrally contracted to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), has returned to the UK to spend time with his family. Both Salt and RCB remain hopeful that the injury will heal soon enough so that he can return to India for the business end of the tournament.

RCB would become eligible to sign a replacement if Salt is ruled out of the tournament. Still, the franchise is currently giving the batter all the time to recover and travel to India for the remainder of the 19th edition of the T20 tournament.

How has Bethell performed?

Bethell, who hit a century in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against India, is yet to play a substantial knock for RCB in the ongoing IPL 2026. He has returned with 39 runs in three matches so far, failing to put together a steady opening partnership with Virat Kohli.

Speaking of RCB, the franchise is currently in the second spot in the points table with 12 points from nine matches. The team will next take on the Lucknow Super Giants on Thursday, May 7. Several RCB players had travelled to the Maldives due to the one-week gap between their previous and next game.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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