Phil Salt, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) opener, has returned to England, and there has been no official confirmation yet on whether the batter will be available for the defending champions for the rest of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The latest reports indicate that the decision is linked to a finger problem, which has also been the main factor behind his absence from a number of RCB matches in recent weeks. While RCB kept quiet on the situation for a stretch, the update has now been clarified with confirmation that Salt is, in fact, dealing with an injury.
Salt has travelled back to the UK to undergo scans on the injured finger, a move that is expected to open the door for Jacob Bethell to receive a longer run in the IPL 2026 setup. RCB, however, has not yet disclosed the severity of the damage or the expected timeline for a return.
The injury occurred during RCB’s match against the Delhi Capitals at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18. Salt suffered the finger setback on his left hand while diving to prevent a boundary at deep backward square leg in the sixth over of Delhi’s innings. At the time, the setback cut short what had been a promising start to the tournament for the 29-year-old. Earlier in the campaign, Salt had struck 202 runs across six innings, maintaining a strike rate of 168.33, before the injury interruption.
With Salt sidelined, Bethell has not yet been able to mirror the same kind of impact. He has managed 39 runs in three matches so far, and despite opening alongside Virat Kohli, he has struggled to establish a consistent early partnership. The contrast has been visible in RCB’s batting rhythm during the matches Salt has missed.
Another key detail is that Salt is centrally contracted with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The recent report also states that he has gone back to the UK to spend time with his family while he completes the necessary medical checks. Both the player and the franchise are understood to remain hopeful that the injury will settle quickly enough for Salt to return to India in time for the later stages of the tournament.
If Salt is ultimately ruled out of the competition, RCB would be permitted to look at a replacement. For now, though, the franchise appears to be giving him the time and space needed to recover and then make the trip back to India for the remainder of the 19th edition of the T20 league.
Bethell’s recent credentials include a standout T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final outing against India, where he struck a century. Yet that momentum has not fully translated to RCB’s ongoing IPL 2026 campaign so far, with his contributions in the current season still limited.
On the tournament front, RCB are positioned second in the points table, having collected 12 points from nine matches. Their next assignment is against the Lucknow Super Giants on Thursday, May 7. A number of RCB players also travelled to the Maldives during the one-week window between their previous game and the next fixture.
