Royal Challengers Bengaluru opening batter Phil Salt is expected to head back to India later this week after missing a month of IPL 2026 action due to a finger injury, with the left-hand issue having first surfaced during the team’s defeat to Delhi Capitals on April 18. Salt injured the finger while trying to stop the ball near the boundary, and since that incident he has not returned to the playing XI, having gone back home last month. RCB’s campaign continues to progress smoothly in his absence, with the franchise already having secured a playoff spot and moving towards a place in Qualifier 1 at Dharamsala next Tuesday.
Injury update and potential return
Salt’s availability for RCB’s last league game remains uncertain. The batter is currently listed as sidelined, and it is not yet clear whether he will be fit in time for the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad on Friday. Bengaluru will be hoping for a timely decision as the final league fixtures shape the race for top seeding and the pathway to Qualifier 1.
RCB’s position in IPL 2026 and the Qualifier 1 race
Defending champions RCB are currently leading the IPL 2026 standings, sitting at the top with nine wins and four losses from 13 matches to collect 18 points. Their qualification for the playoffs is already confirmed, and they are on course to earn a spot in Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala next Tuesday. That route is expected to be straightforward, though the only lingering factor is whether there is a significant shift in Net Run Rate across teams in the points table.
- RCB lead the standings with 9 wins and 4 defeats from 13 matches
- The team has 18 points
- Qualification for the playoffs is already secured
- Qualifier 1 at Dharamsala is the next target next Tuesday, unless Net Run Rate swings materially
Salt’s IPL 2026 run before the injury
Before the finger problem ruled him out, Salt had featured in six IPL 2026 matches. Across those appearances, he made two half-centuries and finished with a top score of 46 among his innings.
Most recent match: RCB beat PBKS in Dharamsala
In their latest IPL 2026 outing, Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Punjab Kings by 23 runs at Dharamsala. Batting first, RCB posted a commanding 222/4, powered by impactful knocks from Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer.
- RCB’s first-innings total: 222/4
- Virat Kohli made 58, reaching a record-extending ninth 500-plus runs IPL season
- Venkatesh Iyer remained unbeaten on 73 off 40 balls
- Devdutt Padikkal contributed 45, while Tim David added 28
Punjab Kings’ chase began poorly, with Bhuvneshwar striking early. In his spell of 4 overs, Bhuvneshwar returned figures of 2/38, removing Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh cheaply. The pressure did not ease for PBKS as their captain Shreyas Iyer also fell early. Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh and Suryansh Shedge tried to keep the chase alive with aggressive hitting, but RCB’s bowling unit tightened up during the death overs to protect the total.
- Bhuvneshwar: 2/38 in 4 overs
- Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh were dismissed early
- Shreyas Iyer fell early as well
- Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh and Suryansh Shedge provided late fight
Josh Hazlewood played a key role in the penultimate over, delivering an economical spell of 1/36 in four overs. The finish then came from Rasikh Salam Dar, who took two wickets in the final over—removing Shashank Singh and Azmatullah Omarzai—while conceding just nine runs, sealing RCB’s 23-run victory.
- Josh Hazlewood: 1/36 in 4 overs
- Rasikh Salam Dar took 2 wickets in the final over
- Final over included dismissals of Shashank Singh and Azmatullah Omarzai
- Runs conceded in the final over: 9
