RCB Overseas Star Returns, Rejoins Teammates On Day Of IPL 2025 Final, Set To Feature In Final

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) received a major boost ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 final against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) as the team's talismanic opening batter Phil Salt returned to Ahmedabad for the title-decider. Salt wasn't a part of the RCB training session on the eve of the contest, with the news of him flying home to accompany his partner for the birth of their first child surfacing. Doubts emerged over Salt's availability, but the Englishman repaid the faith shown in him by the franchise by joining the team on Tuesday morning. 

Salt is a crucial member of the RCB team, having struck 387 runs so far for RCB this season in 12 matches, at a strike-rate of 175.90 and an average of 35.18. The stats alone suggest how important the Englishman is for RCB's plans in the final. With Jacob Bethell already back home for international duty, the Bengaluru side didn't have a top-quality replacement available for the wicket-keeper batter. 

ESPNCricinfo has now confirmed that Salt is back with the team and will feature in the final.

RCB have entered the IPL final after nine long years and are eyeing their maiden trophy that has eluded them for 17 years. They will be playing an IPL final for the fourth time, having finished runners-up in 2009, 2011 and 2016 to Deccan Chargers, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad respectively.

"It's my first season as a captain. I'm lucky that I have our coaches and senior players. Their ideas are helping me a lot in this new leadership role. Everyone is happy, everyone is prepared. It's a big stage, but we are taking it as just another game. It's important to control the controllables. We are just focusing on our process rather than results, and it's a big occasion," skipper Rajat Patidar said in a video posted by the franchise on X.

The Patidar-led RCB will hold an advantage over the PBKS as they thrashed them by eight wickets in Qualifier 1 in Mullanpur to seal the direct entry to the final. Both teams had finished first and second in the league stage, with nine wins, four defeats, and one no-result each in 14 games.

WIth ANI Inputs

Topics mentioned in this article

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Punjab Kings Rajat Patidar IPL 2025 Cricket