England wicketkeeper-batter Phil Salt has revealed that he immediately felt he was a perfect fit for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after being picked at the IPL 2025 auction. Speaking on the RCB Podcast, Salt said the franchise’s style of play and clear communication made the transition seamless.
"My first thought was that this is a team I would really suit playing for. The way RCB has always carried itself, the brand of cricket they play — it all appealed to me. From my very first conversation with Mo Bobat after the auction, I could clearly see why they wanted me and the role they had in mind. Everything felt aligned with my game," Salt said.
RCB secured Salt for ₹11.50 crore, a move that proved decisive. The England star scored 403 runs in 13 matches, including four half-centuries, playing a pivotal role at the top of the order in RCB’s maiden IPL title-winning campaign, where they defeated Punjab Kings in the final, ending an 18-year wait.
Salt had previously been part of Kolkata Knight Riders’ 2024 IPL-winning squad, scoring 435 runs in 12 games, making him one of the rare players to win back-to-back IPL titles with two different franchises.
RCB retained and released players ahead of IPL 2026 auction
Retained: Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Krunal Pandya, Josh Hazlewood, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, Devdutt Padikkal, Nuwan Thushara, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd, Suyash Sharma, Swapnil Singh, Yash Dayal, Abhinandan Singh, Rasikh Dar
Released: Swastik Chikara, Mayank Agarwal, Tim Seifert, Liam Livingstone, Manoj Bhandage, Lungi Ngidi, Blessing Muzarabani, Mohit Rathee
The IPL 2026 auction is scheduled for December 16, with Salt among the retained players heading into the event.
