Phil Salt's IPL Journey: From Overlooked to Opening with Virat Kohli at RCB

In a twist only the unpredictable nature of the IPL auction could produce, Phil Salt has gone from being ignored by franchises to becoming one of the most coveted players. Just eleven months after failing to attract any bids, Salt was secured by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for an impressive INR 11.50 crore (approximately GBP 1.08 million or USD 1.37 million) in the latest IPL auction. This acquisition means Salt will be teaming up with cricket legend Virat Kohli to open the innings at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium come next spring.

Despite being overlooked in the previous auction, Salt proved his mettle with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during their victorious IPL 2024 campaign. As a replacement player, he amassed 435 runs at a striking rate of 182, forming a formidable opening duo with Sunil Narine. KKR, recognizing his value, aggressively bid to reclaim him but ultimately fell short due to budget constraints.

KKR had the right to retain Salt before the auction but chose to retain six other players instead. "There wasn't a whole heap of chat around retention," Salt revealed to ESPNcricinfo. "I feel like, having just won the IPL, they probably had the hardest job of all the franchises, figuring out which direction they were trying to go in with their retentions, so I just sort of left them to it," he added.

The auction saw a fierce bidding war between KKR and RCB. However, after KKR spent INR 23.75 crore to retain Venkatesh Iyer, they found themselves unable to continue the contest for Salt. Reflecting on the situation, Salt commented, "As you saw, they went hard to try and bring me back. But with the way the auction went for the different teams up to that point, maybe there wasn't enough money in the room."

Now, with RCB, Salt is set to play a crucial role in the team's strategy for IPL 2025. His ability to complement Virat Kohli at the top of the order will be a vital asset as the team aims for its maiden IPL title. Salt's journey from being unsold to becoming a key player for one of the league's most popular franchises underscores the volatile and exciting nature of the IPL.