All Punjab Kings had was 101 runs on the board in IPL Qualifier 1. They needed to replicate the same bowling form they showcased against Kolkata Knight Riders at the same venue, defending 111 runs. But Phil Salt had other ideas. The English opener, whose availability in the playoffs was uncertain due to the birth of his child, blew PBKS bowling away with his fastest half-century off 23 balls to fast-track Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s entry in the IPL 2025 final. Salt remained unbeaten on 56 as RCB chased down the target in just 10 overs.
While Phil Salt had his scare moments against Azmatullah Omarzai and Kyle Jamieson early on, he put them to rest. Every time he was tested by a bowler, Salt hit them back with brute power. His first boundary came off a top edge against Arshdeep Singh. But he hit back with a six with a superb pull shot. Again, Omarzai beat Salt in the 5th over, only for the Englishman to hit back in the next delivery. Then came his assault on Jamieson in the last over of the powerplay. He took the New Zealander on for 4, 4, and 6 to take RCB cruising.
“Great feeling right now, the ball did move a bit. I think that was not the worst wicket to have played on this season. I said before the game to Andy (Flower) that it was a blessing in disguise for us. This win gives us the momentum. It is a cliche but true, that’s what you want at the backend of the tournament. Want to hit your straps and play a part with the bat or ball,” Salt said after the match.
Phil’s Assault!
A fiery start to the chase as #RCB come out all guns blazing, eyeing that FINAL berth in style!
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— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 29, 2025
Phil Salt in IPL 2025
Having fallen for 4 and 1 against Punjab Kings in the last two meetings, Phil Salt was under pressure. His record against Arshdeep Singh too wasn’t great, having been dismissed twice by the left-hander five times in 50 deliveries across ODI and T20Is and IPL. In the last two matches against Punjab Kings, Arshdeep got the better of him. But on Wednesday, he hit him for a four and a six and looked comfortable.
“The idea was not to get out to Arshdeep, we played two group games and he’s found different ways to get me out. So, I was just trying to react to the ball,” Phil Salt said after the match.
His role in IPL 2025 has been such. He has come out hammering with Virat Kohli holding the fort on the other end. With 387 runs already in 12 matches, Phil Salt now has a chance to better his record in IPL. Last season, Salt scored 435 runs for Kolkata Knight Riders in 12 matches. This will be Salt’s second successive IPL final.
| Opposition | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs KKR | 56 | 31 | 9 | 2 | 180.64 | Eden Gardens |
| vs CSK | 32 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 200 | Chennai |
| vs GT | 14 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 107.69 | Bengaluru |
| vs MI | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 200 | Wankhede |
| vs DC | 37 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 217.64 | Bengaluru |
| vs RR | 65 | 33 | 5 | 6 | 196.96 | Jaipur |
| vs PBKS | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 100 | Bengaluru |
| vs PBKS | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 | Mullanpur |
| vs RR | 26 | 23 | 4 | 0 | 113.04 | Bengaluru |
| vs SRH | 62 | 32 | 4 | 5 | 193.75 | Lucknow |
| vs LSG | 30 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 157.89 | Lucknow |
| vs PBKS | 56* | 27 | 6 | 3 | 207.4 | Mullanpur |
The post Add ‘salt’ to taste: After bowlers make hay, Phil fast-tracks RCB’s entry into IPL 2025 final appeared first on Inside Sport India.