Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be without Phil Salt for their next IPL 2026 match against Delhi Capitals after Dinesh Karthik confirmed that the England opener is still injured and unavailable for selection.
Salt had missed RCB’s previous match against Gujarat Titans as well, and Karthik’s update has now ruled out his immediate return. The exact nature of the injury has not been officially detailed by RCB, but the confirmation means the franchise will have to play another game without one of its first-choice overseas openers.
Dinesh Karthik confirms Phil Salt will miss DC match
Dinesh Karthik, speaking ahead of RCB’s match against Delhi Capitals, confirmed that Salt has not recovered in time for the fixture. The former India wicketkeeper and RCB mentor said Salt is “injured for the moment”, ending any uncertainty over whether he could return for the next game.
The update is significant because Salt has been part of RCB’s preferred opening structure this season. His role has been clearly defined at the top of the order: attack the new ball, put pressure on the opposition in the powerplay, and give Virat Kohli room to either settle or take control depending on the match situation.
Salt’s absence first became clear during RCB’s match against Gujarat Titans on April 24, when captain Rajat Patidar confirmed at the toss that the opener was injured. Patidar said Salt was unavailable and Jacob Bethell had come into the side. Bethell opened the batting with Kohli in that match.
RCB went on to beat Gujarat Titans by five wickets, with Kohli playing the lead role in the chase through an unbeaten 81. Bethell, playing in Salt’s place, scored 14. While RCB managed to win without Salt, his continued absence keeps the opening combination under focus ahead of the Delhi Capitals match.
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Phil Salt has scored 202 runs in six matches in IPL 2026 at an average of 33.66 and a strike rate of 168.33. Those numbers underline the job he has performed for RCB this season. He has not just been an overseas name in the XI, but a powerplay player who gives the innings immediate pace.
That makes his unavailability important for RCB’s team balance. Salt is also a wicketkeeper-batter, although RCB’s team structure has allowed them to manage that part of the XI. The bigger impact is at the top of the batting order, where his attacking intent has been central to the way RCB have tried to start their innings.
The match against Delhi Capitals will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 27. It will be RCB’s second straight match without Salt, unless there is a late change from the franchise, which currently looks unlikely after Karthik’s confirmation.
The England batter had also made an impact in RCB’s previous meeting with Delhi this season, scoring 63. His absence from the return fixture therefore removes a player who had already performed in this match-up.
RCB have not yet announced a recovery timeline for Salt. There has also been no official clarity on whether the injury is minor or whether he could miss more matches after the Delhi Capitals game. For now, Karthik’s update is limited to the immediate fixture: Salt remains injured and will not play RCB’s next match.