Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers believes that Delhi Capitals (DC) may have missed out on a potential match-winner by releasing Phil Salt and subsequently not securing his services at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction. Phil Salt had a wonderful & memorable T20I series against West Indies where he struck 2 tons and was ruthless.
Phil Salt, a dynamic 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman from England, had an impactful stint with Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2023 season, featuring in nine matches and amassing 218 runs at a striking rate of 163.91, including two half-centuries.
Notably, the aggressive batter has displayed remarkable form in the T20 International format, having scored centuries in his last two outings one before the auction and one just after it. De Villiers underscores the potential value that Phil Salt could bring to a team, suggesting that Delhi Capitals might regret not retaining him for the upcoming IPL season.
Phil Salt didn’t play much last year and maybe disappointed the DC management- AB de Villiers
During a recent question and answer session on his YouTube channel, De Villiers was questioned about whether Delhi Capitals made a mistake by releasing Phil Salt. In response, he expressed partial agreement with their decision, stating,
“The planning for the IPL auction has been done months in advance. I do agree in a way. Phil Salt, I absolutely love watching him play. He is one of the hot favorites in the SA20 tournament. I saw Salt score a lot of runs for the Pretoria Capitals,” said AB de Villiers.
“Yes, maybe they have missed out by not buying him or failing to retain him for the Delhi Capitals. He didn’t play much last year and maybe he disappointed some of the management. But, Phil Salt is a fantastic player and it’s a shame not to see him there,” he added.
Phil Salt has represented England in 20 T20 International matches, accumulating a total of 601 runs at an impressive strike rate of 165.56 which includes 2 centuries and 2 fifties showcasing his ability to make significant contributions in the shortest format of the game.
It will be nice to see Rishabh Pant in the Delhi Capitals colors again- AB de Villiers
In response to inquiries regarding the uncertainty surrounding Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant’s participation in IPL 2024, AB de Villiers was asked about potential replacements in case Pant is unavailable.
“Let’s hope he does recover. It will be nice to see him run out in the Delhi Capitals colors again and to hit some cricket balls like only he can. I am not sure who the replacement can be. Kumar Kushagra will be the wicketkeeper I think then,” said AB de Villiers.
“I can’t wait to watch him play. Going for that amount of money, there must be potential there. Let’s hope Mr. Rishabh Pant plays again. He’s one of my favorite players,” he added.
At the IPL 2024 auction, Delhi Capitals made significant buys, securing the services of young wicketkeeper-batsman Kushagra for a whopping ₹7.2 crores. Additionally, notable purchases included Harry Brook (₹4 crore), Jhye Richardson (₹5 crore), Shai Hope (₹75 lakh), and Tristan Stubbs (₹50 lakh).