Phil Salt Shines as RCB Secures Victory Over Rajasthan Royals in IPL

RCB's Dominant Performance at Sawai Mansingh Stadium

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India] April 13: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) achieved a commanding nine-wicket victory against Rajasthan Royals (RR) during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season on Sunday at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Phil Salt, a key batter for RCB, expressed his satisfaction with his performance, particularly in such a distinctive venue.

He acknowledged the challenge presented by Jofra Archer's bowling but felt accomplished to have triumphed over him in this match. Salt noted their extensive history of facing each other in practice, which made this win even more gratifying.

“I’m really pleased to contribute to the team's success. The venue was unique, and I’m glad I could make a significant impact for the lads. Regarding my duel with Jofra, I took my chances early on to hit through the off-side, but he was swinging the ball a lot, so I realized I had to focus on one area of the ground. Jofra has bowled to me more than anyone else, and I’ve faced him more than any other bowler. It feels great to have come out on top,” Phil Salt remarked during the post-match presentation.

Salt also pointed out the slower nature of the pitch, which allowed him to capitalize during the powerplay. While he acknowledged Rajasthan's solid performance, he believed that the execution of their bowlers and the batting display were crucial in securing the win.

“The wicket was slower and lower than any other we’ve played on. I had a real chance in the powerplay to make an impact. Rajasthan played well, but our bowlers executed their plans effectively. They set a decent score, but we managed to perform well with the bat today,” he added.

Yashasvi Jaiswal's impressive 75 and Dhruv Jurel's vital 35 helped Rajasthan Royals post 173/4 in their 20 overs. RCB's innings began with Salt and Virat Kohli, who provided an aggressive start, with Salt dominating the bowlers during the powerplay. Kohli smartly rotated the strike, allowing Salt to shine.

RCB concluded their powerplay at 65/0, with Salt scoring 46 off 23 balls and Kohli 18 off 13. Salt reached his fifty in the 8th over and continued to attack the RR bowlers even after the field restrictions were lifted.

Virat Kohli contributed 62 runs off 45 balls, while Devdutt Padikkal added 40 runs off 28 balls, helping RCB chase down the challenging target of 174 in the 18th over. The pair formed a crucial partnership, adding 83 runs for the second wicket. Phil Salt emerged as the top scorer for RCB with an impressive 65 runs off just 33 balls, earning him the Player of the Match award for his performance, which included five fours and six sixes.

In terms of bowling for RCB, Krunal Pandya (1/29), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/32), Josh Hazlewood (1/26), and Yash Dayal (1/36) each took a wicket, while Suyash Sharma went wicketless with figures of 0/39.