Phil Salt Achieves Historic IPL Hat-Trick with RCB and KKR

Phil Salt has etched his name in IPL history by becoming the first overseas player to win three consecutive titles. Despite limited appearances, his contributions to RCB and KKR have been pivotal. This article explores Salt's remarkable journey, his unique achievements alongside fellow players, and the potential for future records in the IPL. Discover how Salt's career continues to unfold in the world of cricket.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 1, 2026, 23:12 IST

Phil Salt's Remarkable IPL Journey

Despite participating in only six matches during the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), with his last game on April 18, Phil Salt has made a significant mark in cricket history. The English cricketer has secured his third IPL title, a feat unmatched by any overseas player to date. Salt was instrumental in the title victories of both the 2025 and 2026 Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teams, as well as contributing to the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) success. This accomplishment makes him one of the few players to achieve a hat-trick of IPL titles.

Phil Salt's Historic Achievement

Salt stands out as the first foreign player and one of only three individuals to win the IPL trophy in three consecutive years, joining Indian spinners Karn Sharma and Suyash Sharma. Suyash also reached this milestone recently, having been part of KKR's squad in 2024 and 2025. Notably, the 2025 IPL final (RCB vs. PBKS) marked the only occasion when both Salt and Suyash played in the final together, as they were absent from the 2024 and 2025 finals for KKR and RCB, respectively.

Salt was unavailable for the 2024 final due to international commitments with England and missed the 2026 season's final due to injury, which kept him out of the last ten matches. Suyash, on the other hand, was not included in the playing XI for both finals. The RCB spinner is recognized as the first uncapped player to achieve this remarkable feat. Venkatesh Iyer, who was part of KKR's title-winning team in 2024 alongside Salt and Suyash, did not play for RCB in 2025. However, he has participated in more finals than both, featuring in the 2024 and 2026 finals, scoring a half-century against SRH in 2024 and contributing a quick 32 runs off 16 balls against GT this season.

Both Salt and Suyash have the opportunity to become the first players to win four consecutive titles if RCB secures three titles in a row. Should this occur, any of the seven players (Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Josh Hazlewood) who played in both the 2025 and 2026 finals and participate in the 2027 final could also achieve the distinction of winning three finals in a row. Meanwhile, Karn Sharma retains the unique record of winning titles with three different teams. He was part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) squad that clinched the title in 2016 and later won with the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2017 and 2018, respectively. However, he did not play in all three finals, missing the SRH final in 2016 but participating for MI against RPSG in 2017 and for CSK against SRH in 2018. Overall, Karn has won the title four times, having also been part of the CSK squad in 2021, although he did not play any matches that season under MS Dhoni's captaincy.