Why is Phil Salt not playing in today’s match against Gujarat Titans?

RCB captain explains the mystery of Salt’s absence Rajat Patidar Made it clear during the toss. Patidar, who won the toss and elected to bowl first, confirmed that the English wicketkeeper-batsman had to sit out due to injury. While the specific nature of the injury (whether it was a recurrence of his previous back problems or a new problem) was not given, the captain stated that it was significant enough to require a change to the XI.

“Salt is injured, Bethell is playing, I just feel it will be a good pitch to bowl on. Chasing gives us great clarity about the outcome. We are assessing the wickets and conditions very well this year,” Patidar said during the toss.

Salt has been a key part of RCB’s aggressive batting plan in 2026, often Virat Kohli We provide license of exciting games with. His absence has affected the youth and the multi-faceted Jacob Bethell Gave him an opportunity to leave his mark.

Patidar also pointed out that the Chinnaswamy surface looked a bit sticky with not much grass, suggesting that the ball may hold well in the first innings, which is a strategic reason behind the decision to bowl first and adjust the batting order to avoid early moisture.

Playing XI and impressive options of both the teams

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar.

Impact Subs: Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Venkatesh Iyer.

Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (w), Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj.

Impact Subs: Prasidh Krishna, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Nishant Sindhu, Arshad Khan.

 

Both the teams have made strategic adjustments as per the conditions in Bengaluru.

Shubman Gill Gujarat Titans led by experienced all-rounder Jason Holder who are aiming to use their experience in Death Overs. Meanwhile, there has been a change in the top order in the RCB team due to the absence of Salt.