Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) opener Phil Salt was at his brutal best with the bat in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Mullanpur, guiding his team to a one-sided eight-wicket win. Chasing a modest target, Salt unleashed an aggressive unbeaten 56 off just 27 balls, propelling RCB to 106/2 in only 10 overs and securing their place in the final.
With this win, RCB became the first team to confirm their spot in the IPL 2025 final, set to be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on June 20. Meanwhile, PBKS will have another shot at qualification when they compete in Qualifier 2 on June 1, also in Ahmedabad.
Having struggled against Arshdeep Singh earlier in the season, Salt adjusted his approach. “The only thing on my mind was not getting out to Arshdeep,” Salt said after the match. “He got me out in both league games, so today I focused on just reacting to the ball.”
Despite a disrupted travel schedule for RCB, Salt saw the positives. “I told Andy [Flower] before the match that maybe the travel and the short breaks came at the right time. It helped reset, and this win gives us great momentum going into the final.”
Salt’s knock featured 6 fours and 3 sixes. This was his 10th IPL fifty, and during the match, he crossed the 1,000-run mark in the tournament, now sitting at 1,040 runs from 33 matches at an average of 34.66. In the ongoing season, he has accumulated 387 runs in 12 games at an average of 35.18, striking at 175.90.
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