Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) appears to have built a strong squad for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Following their releases and retentions, the franchise was in need of building a strong core for the team again.
RCB acquired the explosive English opener Phil Salt for ₹11.5 Crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. Salt had a standout season with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) last year and has consistently been one of England’s top performers on the international circuit in the recent past. The Bangalore-based franchise parted ways with their opener and skipper, Faf du Plessis, releasing him ahead of the auction and choosing not to bid for him later. Despite expectations from many fans for the franchise to bring du Plessis back, RCB opted to pursue Phil Salt instead of the South African veteran.
“Among Indian players, I can only think of Ishan Kishan“
RCB posted a video on their social media platforms, explaining their decision to pick Phil Salt over Faf du Plessis. They emphasized that Salt’s strong performance and numbers, along with his wicketkeeping abilities, made him a valuable and well-rounded option for the team. Du Plessis’ age played a significant role in RCB’s decision not to retain him or bring him back during the auction. Dinesh Karthik, now part of RCB’s support staff, pointed out the importance of a batter’s strike rate against spin in the first six balls of the innings as a critical factor in the selection process.
The video explains that the franchise was specifically looking for an overseas opener.
“We would want a foreign opener because, on the day they get going, they can score a hundred in 60, 50, or 40 balls, whatever it might be. Players like Jos Buttler and Phil Salt have done this time and time again,” Karthik said.
Speaking about the Indian options, Karthik mentioned that Ishan Kishan was the only name that came to his mind when considering power and explosive hitting.
“Among Indian players, I can only think of Ishan Kishan, who has done that to a small degree. We know why we don’t want to go there (open with an Indian opener) because the power is not there,” he reflected.
“Phil Salt scores six to eight runs in an over 28% of the time and 12–15 runs in an over 30% of the time“
Speaking about Phil Salt, Karthik said,
“My concurrence is that Phil Salt scores six to eight runs in an over 28% of the time and 12–15 runs in an over 30% of the time. In one out of four overs, he scores 16 or more runs, and in one out of two overs, he scores 12 or more.”
In the video, Mo Bobat, RCB’s Director of Cricket Operations, also highlighted Phil Salt’s consistency and ability to hit boundaries. Apart from Faf du Plessis and Phil Salt, the list of potential openers considered included Will Jacks, Rachin Ravindra, and Jos Buttler.
At the end of the video, a note was shared which said,
“Salt, Jacks, and Faf were considered for the opening slot. Salt’s staggering numbers, dual skill of wicketkeeping, and auction order made him a priority option, and RCB ended up picking Salt for Rs 11.5 crore.”
Faf du Plessis’ performance for RCB
Faf du Plessis took over as RCB captain in 2022 and proved to be a reliable performer for the team. Across three seasons (2022-2024), he accumulated 1,636 runs at an average of 38.05 and a strike rate close to 147. During this time, he scored 15 half-centuries, with a highest score of 96. In 2024, he made 438 runs at a strike rate of over 161.
Despite these remarkable performances, RCB chose to move on from the 40-year-old. The former South African skipper eventually ended up with Delhi Capitals(DC) for a base price of 2 crores.