Today, KKR must be thinking, “If only we hadn’t let go of Phil Salt that day.” But hey, one man’s “oops” is another man’s jackpot — and RCB hit the jackpot big time by bringing the English dasher onboard for IPL 2025.

And boy, Salt didn’t just add flavour — he brought the whole spice rack to the Royal Challengers. So far, he’s smashed 387 runs, including four half-centuries — one of which came in the high-stakes Qualifier 1 against Punjab Kings. And guess what? That was his fastest fifty of the season — on a pitch where PBKS batters looked like they were batting underwater.

He’s RCB’s second-highest run-scorer after the mighty Virat Kohli, and his strike rate? Absolutely fiery — touching 176, enough to give bowlers sleepless nights.

It’s déjà vu with a twist — this is the second season in a row that Salt has powered his team into the IPL final. Last year, he was one of KKR’s key pillars, racking up 435 runs in 12 innings and helping the Knights end their 10-year title drought.

Salt didn’t feature in the IPL 2024 final, but this time, he’s almost certain to open for RCB in the ultimate showdown. And the stakes? Even higher — because now he has the chance to break RCB’s 18-year title curse.

Just one more match. One more blazing knock. And maybe, just maybe, Ee Sala Cup Namde might finally come true.

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What happened in IPL Qualifier 1?

Put into bat, Punjab Kings didn't know what struck them as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowlers ran riot in Chandigarh. Josh Hazlewood and Suyash Sharma picked up 3 wickets each as PBKS was bundled out for a mere 101 in Qualifier 1.

It seemed like a completely different wicket when RCB came out to bat. Virat Kohli fell for a run-a-ball 12 but it was Phil Salt who took the attack to the opposition. An unbeaten 27-ball-56 powered Bengaluru to an 8-wicket win. While RCB made it to their 3^rd IPL final, Punjab will get another shot to punch their ticket to the final showdown as they play Qualifier 2.

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