Phil Salt's Release To IPL Auction Pool: KKR's Blunder That Turned Into A Boon For RCB

Phil Salt joined RCB after KKR released him [Source: AFP]

Swashbuckling English batter Phil Salt had a tremendous outing in the second T20I against South Africa, amassing a blistering century. Batting first, England cruised to 304 runs in 20 overs before restricting the Proteas to 158 and winning the contest by 146 runs. 

Salt has showcased prolific form in the shortest format in recent times. After having a stellar IPL season with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Salt oozed his class in the T20 Blast and The Hundred, scoring 451 runs across both tournaments. 

Interestingly, Phil Salt was once a part of Kolkata Knight Riders and helped them emerge triumphant in the 2024 season. However, despite Salt's prolific returns, the Knight Riders released him and paid the price for it, as explained below. 

Salt's performance for KKR and reasons why he was released

(Phil Salt's stats for KKR in IPL 2024)

• As shown by the stats presented in the above table, Salt had an outstanding season for KKR in IPL 2024, scoring 435 runs at an average of 39.55 and a blistering strike rate of 182.01. In fact, he scored 16.31 per cent of KKR's total runs, signifying how crucial he was for the eventual champions. 
• However, despite Salt's exceptional performance and budget of only 1.5 Crores, the KKR think tank released him ahead of the 2025 mega auction. Although they tried to get him back, engaging themselves in a bidding war with RCB, the Knight Riders eventually backed out when the bid reached the 11.5 Cr mark. 
• Thus, RCB secured the services of the English star, while KKR purchased Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the mega auction. 

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Replacing Salt with De Kock and Gurbaz: A move that proved costly for KKR

(De Kock and Gurbaz's poor stats in IPL 2025)

• Unlike Salt, Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz couldn't bring their A-game in KKR colours, letting the franchise down with their abysmal scores in the IPL 2025. 
• In Salt's presence, KKR's top-order accounted for 1208 runs at an average of 34.51 and a strike rate of 176.09 in IPL 2024. On the contrary, the failures of De Kock and Gurbaz hampered their top-order's overall success, as the batters scored 867 runs, averaging 25.50 and a strike rate of 146.94. The difference in these numbers highlights how Salt's absence proved costly for the Knight Riders. 

Phil Salt's addition: A bold move that powered RCB to Title

(Salt was an upgrade over Faf for RCB)

• On the other hand, RCB's decision to add Phil Salt to their top order worked wonders for them in the IPL 2025. The Englishman formed a formidable opening stand with Virat Kohli, scoring 403 runs at an average of 33.58 and a strike rate of 175.98. 
• More importantly, he was an obvious upgrade over Faf du Plessis, bringing more firepower and impact as a top-order batter. 
• Salt's consistency and blazing fifties helped RCB bag crucial wins against KKR and RR before the England opener hammered 56* runs off just 27 balls to guide his side to a memorable victory over Punjab Kings in the qualifier. 
• Thus, RCB reaped the rewards for trusting in Salt's abilities, signing him after KKR snubbed the keeper-batter. Also, considering his exploits in the IPL 2025, it's highly likely that RCB will retain him for the upcoming season. 

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