Royal Challengers Bangalore’s decision to bring England opener Phil Salt to the team was influenced by his explosive batting style and ability to take on any bowler in the powerplay, according to RCB batting coach Karthik. Salt was acquired for a whopping ₹11.5 crore after a fierce bidding war between RCB, Mumbai Indians, and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Describing Salt as a player with a great attitude and explosive batting skills, Karthik highlighted his impressive T20 record, including 1,106 runs in 38 T20Is for England at an average of 36.86 and a strike rate of 165.32. Salt has also scored 6,517 runs in 268 T20 matches at a strike rate of over 155, with three centuries and 41 fifties. In the previous IPL season, he scored 435 runs in 12 matches for KKR at a strike rate of 182.00.
In addition to Salt, RCB also acquired Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma, who Karthik described as a very explosive middle-order batsman. Jitesh has shown promise in the IPL and has the ability to play spin well, making him a valuable addition to the team.
Karthik also addressed the wicketkeeping situation, stating that the team will make a decision closer to the tournament based on who is the better fielder and wicketkeeper option. Jitesh has scored 100 runs in 9 T20Is for India and made 730 runs in 40 matches for Punjab Kings since 2022.
The upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction promises to be an exciting event with several international stars up for grabs. A total of 574 players, including 208 overseas players and 318 uncapped Indian players, will be part of the auction in Jeddah from November 24-25. The auction is expected to break records and potentially see unexpected player movements.
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