England wicketkeeper-batsman Phil Salt recalls a conversation he had with Virat Kohli during his time at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Salt revealed that Kohli’s simple two-word message gave him the confidence and clarity to attack during a crucial run chase at the Eden Gardens.
Virat Kohli played a key role in Royal Challengers Bangalore winning two consecutive IPL titles. The veteran batsman scored 675 runs during the 2026 season at an average of 56.25 and a strike rate of 165.84. After recovering from the hamstring injury suffered in the final, he is preparing for India’s upcoming ODI series in England.
Kill him – Phil Salt reveals Virat Kohli’s match-changing advice
Phil Salt recalls the moment he spent with Virat Kohli during the IPL at Eden Gardens. The England opener said that he was struggling to score runs quickly before Kohli came in between the overs and gave him a simple message which completely changed his mindset.
“It was like the third over of batting with him in the IPL at Eden Gardens. We weren’t on many runs and in the middle of the overs he just said, ‘Kill him.’ That’s all he said. ‘Kill him. Make it a big over. We didn’t hit much boundaries, but he knew this was my match-up. I knew this was my match-up too. Was this the right time to target an over for 20? I didn’t know. But he knew, and he gave me this clarity and asked me to do it. It’s huge,” Phil Salt said in the Super Over.
He is the most complete player – Phil Salt praises Virat Kohli
Phil Salt compared his understanding with Kohli to partnerships seen in top-level football. He said such chemistry is rare in cricket and described the former India captain as the most complete player he has played with or seen.
“You see it in so many different sports where your knowledge of your teammates is huge. In football, when De Bruyne was playing with Haaland, it almost felt like he knew where Haaland was going to be. You see those relationships in different sports, but you don’t really see it so much in cricket. He’s the most complete player I’ve played with or seen on TV – I don’t think there’s anything he can’t do.”
Kohli and Salt had opened the batting together for Royal Challengers Bangalore during the last two IPL seasons. Their partnership played a vital role in helping the franchise win consecutive IPL titles.
Virat Kohli ready to return for England ODI series
Virat Kohli is ready to return to international cricket in the three-match ODI series against England after missing the recent home series against Afghanistan due to a hamstring injury. The matches will be played in Birmingham, Cardiff and Lord’s.
Kohli is in great form in the series. He scored 675 runs in 16 matches of IPL 2026 at an average of 56.25, which included one century and five fifties. He scored an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls in the final to help Royal Challengers Bangalore chase down 156 and win the title.
The veteran batsman also became the first player to score 9,000 IPL runs during the season. He now has 9,336 runs to his name in 275 innings, including nine centuries and 68 half-centuries, taking his record as the tournament’s leading run-scorer.
