IPL 2026: Phil Salt returns to England for scans on injured finger, may return to RCB later

Phil Salt has reportedly returned home to the UK for scans for a finger injury, which has seen him miss the last three games for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

For the unversed, Salt injured a finger on his left hand while diving to stop a boundary at deep backward square leg in the defending champions’ loss to the Delhi Capitals at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18. The team did not reveal the extent or nature of the injury, a topic that had led to much uncertainty surrounding it.

According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, the English wicketkeeper-batter has returned to the United Kingdom for scans at the request of the ECB management. The youngster has undergone scans, with both the player and the franchise hoping his finger heals soon enough so he can return to the RCB squad at the end of the month.

Salt has been a vital part of RCB’s batting lineup at the top of the order. He has scored 202 runs in six innings, with two half-centuries. His runs this season have come at a strike rate of 168.33, and he scored a match-winning 78 against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. He scored 403 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 175.98 in the 2025 season, playing a vital role in RCB’s romp to their first title after an 18-year wait.

In Salt’s absence, England's hot prospect Jacob Bethell has filled in at the top of the order for RCB but has yet to make a mark. He has scored 39 runs in three innings, which includes two single-digit scores. This came at a time when experts and pundits alike were clamouring for the young starlet to return to England to play in the County Championship due to a lack of game time.

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RCB are currently on a six-day break after their loss to the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on April 30. The team members are enjoying a holiday in the Maldives to re-energise themselves amid a packed cricketing schedule. Their next fixture is against the Lucknow Super Giants on May 07 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium.