RCB newcomer Phil Salt EXCITED to share the field with Virat Kohli

New Delhi: Letting go of the South African veteran, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) jumped into the auction in search of an aggressive opener. Despite having many options for opener batters, the challenge was to acquire them at a good price. However, after a three front bidding war, RCB roped in the English wicketkeeper-batter who suits the franchise’s bold playing style.

The Welshman, who sparked a bidding war among three franchises, was ultimately secured by RCB for INR 11.5 crore. Given his impressive IPL record, Salt’s acquisition feels well-deserved, having scored 653 runs at a strike rate of 175.54. His best performance came last year, when he amassed 435 runs. Salt shared his excitement about playing for RCB and highlighted what he’s most looking forward to.

“I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for Virat [Kohli]. I’ve always had a bit of chat with him – and a laugh and a joke – when I’ve played against him in the past, so I’m looking forward to playing alongside him,” Salt told ESPNCricinfo.

Regarding his auction experience, Salt added, “As you saw, they [KKR] went hard to try and bring me back. But with the way the auction went for the different teams up to that point, maybe there wasn’t enough money in the room.”

RCB’s Aggressive Playing Style Aligns with Salt’s Approach

Salt’s aggressive playing style seems like a perfect fit for RCB’s dynamic lineup at Chinnaswamy Stadium.

“They’ve [RCB] got a very clear way of playing the game, which is to go out and attack,” Salt explained. “They’ve always had fiery personalities, and their batting line-ups have been world-class.”

The 28-year-old also shared that RCB is one of the teams he would always tune into when they were batting. He added that he feels aligned with RCB’s head coach, Andy Flower, and Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat.

“They’re one of a few teams that, when I was watching IPL years ago, if they were playing, I’d turn the TV on. Obviously, they’ve got Andy there and Mo Bobat [as Director of Cricket], and I’m really looking forward to playing under them. Having been around them a little bit, I know that we think alike in some ways—and their track record speaks for itself.”