3 Teams Who Can Buy Phil Salt During IPL 2025 Mega Auction

Bhargav Dixit

Phil Salt celebrates his third T20I century. [Source: @englandcricket/X]Phil Salt celebrates his third T20I century. [Source: @englandcricket/X]

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It wouldn’t be wrong to say that England wicket-keeper batter Phil Salt is really entwining around international cricket. Having played 61 limited-overs matches in less than four years, Salt already has four centuries and eight half-centuries to his name.

More recently, he is the fourth-highest (second-highest among Test playing nations) T20I run-scorer in the last 12 months. For anyone with more than 500 runs in the format in this period, Salt is the only player to average more than 55 while striking at over 175.

One of the four batters to have scored at least two centuries in the last year, the 28-year-old player is the only one to have scored three. Third out of the four players to have scored two consecutive T20I tons, Salt is the only to have crossed the three-figure mark thrice against one opposition.

His most recent scintillating knock made him the first batter to score three T20I hundreds in the Caribbean. No one has even managed two. Salt putting together the aforementioned heroics weeks before IPL 2025 auction doubtlessly makes him a trending commodity.

Here is a list of teams who would want to acquire the services of the right-handed batter for the next season of the Indian Premier League:

Royal Challengers Bangalore

With former India wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik joining Royal Challengers Bangalore as a batting coach and mentor and the franchise not retaining captain Faf du Plessis, it creates spots for both a wicket-keeper batter and an overseas top-order batter.

Salt, with all his talent, is arguably the likeliest of candidates to fill both these spots. Thus, aiding RCB to allocate additional budget for him. Assuming Bangalore use one of their RTMs on England all-rounder Will Jacks, one of their two IPL 2024 centurions, it would also enable them to entrust two overseas players who have played a lot with each other.

Mumbai Indians

Much like Royal Challengers, Mumbai Indians have also released wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan. Not in a position to buy him back via an RTM, it wouldn’t be surprising if they opt to move on from him and opt for Salt instead.

With all their five retained players being Indians, MI have the bandwidth of spending generously on overseas players. If they are able to seal this seal, an opening combination comprising former captain Rohit Sharma and Salt would unequivocally be one of the most exciting opening pairs of the tournament.

Punjab Kings

In perpetual need of players who would power them to a maiden title, Punjab Kings wouldn’t mind buying Salt to add firepower at the top of the order. Although they have retained an uncapped wicket-keeper batter in Prabhsimran Singh, sending him to open the batting alongside Salt would definitely force opponents to plan better.

Taking into consideration how Kings have retained only two players and have employed a new head coach, bidding actively for Salt is on the cards in an attempt to create a squad from scratch for the umpteenth time in IPL history. Furthermore, with their affinity with English players well-known, one believes Salt could be part of this franchise next season.