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RCB's Mo Bobat Backs Phil Salt Despite Form Slump Ahead of IPL 2026

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's director of cricket, Mo Bobat, has publicly backed England batter Phil Salt despite his recent struggles in the T20 World Cup. Bobat emphasized Salt's status as a top-ranked T20 batter and expressed excitement about watching him open the innings with Virat Kohli. He highlighted the strong, experienced nature of the RCB squad and the positive environment Salt enjoys within the franchise. The defending champions will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28.

Key Points: RCB's Bobat Backs Phil Salt, Eyes Kohli Partnership in IPL 2026

  • Bobat backs out-of-form Salt
  • Salt ranked 4th in T20I rankings
  • Excited for Salt-Kohli opening partnership
  • RCB to begin title defence vs SRH
2 min read

RCB's Mo Bobat backs out-of-form Phil Salt, says he is ranked among top T20 batters

RCB director Mo Bobat expresses full confidence in Phil Salt ahead of IPL 2026 title defence, highlighting his top T20 ranking and partnership with Virat Kohli.

"Someone like Phil Salt is still ranked as one of the top T20 batters in the world. - Mo Bobat"

Bengaluru, March 24

Royal Challengers Bengaluru director of cricket Mo Bobat backed the out-of-form England batter Phil Salt ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, stressing that he looks forward to watching him open the innings for the defending champions alongside Virat Kohli.

Phil Salt had a wonderful run with RCB in their maiden title-win. The right-handed batter scored 403 runs in 13 innings, with an average of 33.58. However, the Englishman struggled big time in the recent ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, scoring only 130 runs in eight matches at an average of 16.25.

Asked whether there's any concern around Salt's form heading into the IPL 2026, RCB's director of cricket, Mo Bobat, said the team has a strong, experienced squad of international players and emphasised that Salt remains one of the top-ranked T20 batters in the world.

Salt is currently ranked fourth in the ICC Men's T20I rankings.

"Well, those aren't concerns for me. We've got a high-quality squad, and as we saw last year, our strongest team that we put out most of the time is full of predominantly guys who are playing or have played international cricket. So, these guys are seasoned professionals. They know what they're doing. Someone like Phil Salt is still ranked in one of the top T20 batters in the world," Mo Bobat said at RCB's pre-season press conference on Tuesday.

"I'm looking forward to watching him and Virat walk out to bat like they do. Couple of gladiators walking out, which is always exciting. And they'll be trying to put the opposition under pressure. We've got a lot of confidence in our team. Huge amount of confidence in Phil Salt and I'm sure he'll go out there and do his thing," Mo Bobat added.

Mo Bobat said Phil Salt enjoys his partnership with Virat.

"So there's enough depth of confidence there. He also really enjoys being with RCB. He enjoys the franchise. He enjoys his partnership with Virat. He works very well with the likes of Andy and DK. So they're doing some really good work right now. And I'm pretty sure we'll see at the start of the season Phil doing his thing," Mo Bobat said.

Defending champions RCB will kick off their title defence against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
I have full faith in the management's decision. They saw something in him that won us the trophy. Virat's presence at the other end will bring the best out of Salt. Can't wait for the season to start!
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Aman W
Respectfully, I am a bit concerned. World Cup form was poor, and IPL pressure is different. Hope he proves us wrong, but we should have a solid backup plan. RCB's success can't rely on hope.
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Sarah B
The partnership with Kohli is key. If they get off to a flying start, it sets the tone. Salt's aggressive style complements Virat's anchor role perfectly. Excited to see the "gladiators" walk out!
K
Karthik V
True, he's still ranked 4th! Stats don't lie. A player of his caliber will bounce back. The Indian conditions and RCB's batting-friendly approach suit him. Let's support our defending champions!
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Nidhi U
It's good to hear he enjoys being with RCB. Team environment matters so much. When a player is happy, he performs. Last year's magic can definitely be repeated. All the best to the team! 💪

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