Rajat Patidar has provided an update on Phil Salt’s fitness ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 showdown against Gujarat Titans in Dharamshala on Tuesday, saying the England opener is recovering well but that a final call on his place in the starting XI is yet to be made.
Team news, qualification stakes and preparations
- Patidar said Salt is fit for the next match, though the decision on whether he will play is still pending.
- Salt missed the latter part of the league phase due to injury after turning out in the opening six games of the season.
- Speaking during the pre-match media interaction on Monday, Patidar indicated Salt remains under observation and added that the team will judge conditions before naming the XI.
- Patidar said the squad’s priority has been to secure direct entry into the final, echoing the message from the start of the campaign.
RCB ended the league stage at the summit of the standings with 18 points from 14 matches, finishing above Gujarat Titans on net run rate after both sides were level on points.
Qualifier 1 carries a direct route to the title match: the winner will advance straight to the IPL final, while the side that loses will get another opportunity through Qualifier 2 on Friday. Qualifier 2 will feature the loser from this match against the victor of the Eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals.
Even with top spot secured, Patidar insisted the contest against GT should not be viewed as one-sided, stressing that the team best able to handle pressure will come out on top.
He further backed RCB’s bowling unit to deliver after what he described as a disappointing outing in their most recent league game against SRH, where Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded heavily. Despite the costly spell, Patidar said the experienced pacer remains central to RCB’s plans.
Patidar highlighted RCB’s intent to strike early, arguing that the powerplay will be pivotal against Gujarat. He said the approach has been consistent across their attack, pointing to Bhuvneshwar Kumar along with Hazlewood and Rasik, and expressed hope that the same process continues in Dharamshala.
