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Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) made a strategic move at the IPL mega auction by securing explosive England opener Phil Salt for Rs 11.5 crore.
Known for his aggressive batting and ability to dominate powerplay overs, Salt became a highly sought-after player during the bidding war.
The auction witnessed intense competition, with Mumbai Indians (MI) and RCB initially locking horns before Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) joined the race. The bids surged rapidly, crossing the Rs 10 crore mark as both teams carefully deliberated their next moves.
Ultimately, RCB emerged victorious, confident that Salt’s dynamic presence at the top of the order would add firepower to their batting lineup.
As per an RCB statement, Dinesh said, "Phil Salt, what have I got to say? He is explosive. He is someone who can take on in the power play. Great attitude. Nice guy to have around in the team. Everything about him says he is the kind of guy that RCB would love to have."
In 38 T20Is for England, he has made 1,106 runs at an average of 36.86 and a strike rate of 165.32, with three centuries and four fifties. In 268 T20s, he has scored 6,517 runs at a strike rate of over 155, with three centuries and 41 fifties. In Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)'s triumph last season, he scored 435 runs in 12 matches with four fifties at a strike rate of 182.00.
Speaking on acquistion of Indian wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, Karthik said, "He is a very explosive middle -order batsman. We wanted someone who is on the fringes of the Indian team and he is right there. We have seen what he can do in the IPL. Has got areas that he can hit and RCB being a ground where you can play spin well, he comes as a very, very good option."
On wicket keeping(Jitesh or Phil) Kartik said: "I think it is a decision that we will take closer to the tournament. I think it is a discussion that we need to have and see who is the better fielder, who is the better weekkeeper and accordingly figure out what is the right option."
In 9 T20Is for India, Jitesh has 100 runs with best score of 35. In 40 matches for Punjab Kings (PBKS) since 2022, he made 730 runs at an average of 22.81, with strike rate of over 151.14 and best score of 49*.