Ahead of the IPL 2025 final against Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru received a massive sigh of relief as their opener Phil Salt rejoined the squad ahead of the title clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, June 3.

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings to vie for their maiden IPL title at the world’s largest stadium, with a capacity of over 1 lakh. The Indian Premier League will witness new champions for the first time since 2022. The last time the IPL had crowned new champions was in 2022, when Gujarat Titans clinched the maiden title in their debut season under the leadership of Hardik Pandya.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru qualified for the final after defeating Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 in Mullanpur. Punjab Kings, on the other hand, bounced back from Qualifier 1 loss and defeated Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 to secure their berth in the title clash. RCB are playing their fourth IPL final and the first since 2016, while PBKS are in the title clash for the first time since 2014, and overall, their second appearance in the final.

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Sigh of relief in RCB camp ahead of crucial final

As Royal Challengers Bengaluru gear up to end their title drought in their fourth IPL final, there was uncertainty over Phil Salt’s participation in the title clash. As per the report by ESPN Cricinfo, the England opener returned home to be with his wife for the birth of their child.

The report suggested that Salt was not at the ground, Narendra Modi Stadium, for a final practice session on the eve of the IPL 2025. Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s franchise kept the latest developments under wraps and has not shown any sign of indication of Salt missing the final. However, the RCB camp heaved a sigh of relief as Phil Salt rejoined the squad in time for the final.

According to the report by ESPN Cricinfo, Salt returned to Ahmedabad early morning after flying back home to be with his partner for the birth of their first child. This news brought immense relief and renewed optimism within the RCB camp.

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🚨 PHIL SALT TO PLAY IPL FINAL. 🚨

- Salt returned to Ahmedabad early morning after going back home for the birth of his child. (Espncricinfo). pic.twitter.com/zDqi3G7EzE
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 3, 2025

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Though RCB might be heaving a sigh of relief over Salt's availability for the final, there is still an uncertainty over Tim David's participation in the title clash due to a hamstring injury that he sustained during the league stage match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. David did not feature in the playing XI for the Qualifier 1 clash against the Punjab Kings in Mullanpur.

Phil Salt’s impressive run of form in IPL 2025

Phil Salt has played an instrumental role in helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru reach their fourth IPL final in their tournament’s history. Acquired for INR 11.50 crore by the Bengaluru-based IPL franchise. Phil Salt managed to justify his price tag with his explosive performance at the top of the batting line-up.

Phil Salt would often anchor the innings at the top and provide rapid starts in the powerplay, consistently putting bowlers under pressure and setting the RCB’s middle-order to capitalize on. In IPL 2025, Salt has amassed 387 runs, including four fifties, at an average of 35.18 and an impressive strike rate of 175.40 in 12 matches.

Apart from providing explosive starts at the top, Phil Salt has formed a formidable partnership with his opening partner and RCB stalwart Virat Kohli. The pair has shared 547 runs, including six fifties, at an average of 45.58 in 12 matches.

Their consistent opening stands have laid a strong foundation for RCB throughout the season, often giving the team an early momentum needed to dominate matches and easing the pressure on the middle-order in high-stakes encounters.

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