Phil Salt, who has missed the previous three IPL 2026 games for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) due to a finger injury, has returned to the UK for scans. According to the update, Jacob Bethell will continue to start games at the top of the order.
ESPNcricinfo has heard that Salt suffered a finger injury on his left hand while diving to defend a boundary at deep backward square leg in the sixth over of the second innings during their home loss to Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 18. RCB has not disclosed the specifics of Salt's injury. With a strike rate of 168.33 and 202 runs in six innings, he had a great start to the season.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Salt, who has a central contract with the ECB, has since returned to spend time with his family and has had finger scans. With RCB hoping to defend the title they won for the first time last season, both the player and the team are still optimistic that Salt's injury will heal quickly enough for him to return to India this month.
His international teammate Bethell, who began the season on the bench, is now allowed to begin the batting alongside Virat Kohli because to Salt's absence. With Jordan Cox, another Englishman, available as a spare batter, Bethell, who has yet to make a big impression (scoring 39 runs in three innings), now appears to get more chances at the top of the order.If Salt's injury is considered season-ending, RCB is permitted by IPL regulations to sign a replacement, but they are expected to give him every chance to heal.
Salt will be irritated by the timing of his injury. He had previously praised RCB's team atmosphere under director of cricket Mo Bobat, head coach Andy Flower, and batting coach/mentor Dinesh Karthik. Following a disappointing T20 World Cup with England, he had returned to his greatest form at the IPL.
After losing to Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad last Thursday, RCB had a six-day break between games.