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A big update has come on Phil Salt ahead of the IPL 2026 final between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 31. Phil Salt had already missed 8 consecutive matches for RCB this season due to a finger injury.
Salt’s IPL 2026 campaign suffered a major setback on April 18 when he injured a finger on his left hand while diving to stop a four against Delhi Capitals. The injury was so serious that the England star had to leave the tournament and return to England for further scans and treatment.
Phil Salt to be ruled out of IPL 2026 due to finger injury
After working hard on his recovery for almost a month, Salt returned to the RCB camp ahead of the IPL 2026 playoffs. Even RCB captain Rajat Patidar confirmed that Salt has fully recovered and is fit to play again, but he missed Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Titans.
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In the absence of the dangerous England batsman, Venkatesh Iyer has opened the innings for Royal Challengers Bangalore along with Virat Kohli this season and the Indian all-rounder was given preference in Qualifier 1 as well. However, Iyer could only score 19 runs off 7 balls in RCB’s 92-run win over GT.
Rajat Patidar drops a big hint on Phil Salt’s eventual prospects
Even before the title clash in Ahmedabad, Rajat Patidar had already hinted that Salt may not play in the final either, and the Englishman was not even seen training in the nets ahead of the IPL 2026 final against Gujarat Titans on Sunday.
“Right now he is right there with the team. But at the same time, he is also doing some kind of practice and batting. And again, we have not decided yet. We will see how the doctors and the entire management look at it. And we will see what the conditions are tomorrow,” Patidar said at the pre-match presser.
Phil Salt likely to miss IPL 2026 final as RCB favors Virat Kohli-Venkatesh Iyer as opening pair
Now, RevSportz journalist, Rohit Juglan shared a big update on RCB’s starting combination for the summit clash against GT. He also revealed that there is every possibility of Phil Salt missing the IPL 2026 final as well, with RCB looking to continue with the Virat Kohli-Venkatesh Iyer opening pair.
There is every possibility that Phil Salt will not be there in the final also – Venky Virat will open
– Rohit Juglan (@rohitjuglan) May 30, 2026
However, the official update is yet to come. Before the injury, Salt and Kohli were one of the most dangerous opening pairs in the league and were in great form, scoring 202 runs with two fifties in six matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
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Ahmedabad weather brings big relief ahead of GT vs RCB IPL 2026 final
Well, monsoon has already reached many parts of the country, but the good news is that the weather in Ahmedabad is expected to remain mostly clear and there is very little chance of rain impacting the IPL 2025 final between GT and RCB.
Interestingly, Gujarat Titans faced some trouble in the journey after their Qualifier 2 win over Rajasthan Royals. Heavy rains in parts of Punjab and Rajasthan led to delays in flights from Chandigarh, affecting the team’s travel plans. However, it is a matter of great relief that a reserve day has been kept for the IPL final. If rain or inclement weather disrupts Sunday, play will continue on Monday, June 1.