England's Super Pair Of Phil Salt-Jos Buttler Is Not Enough For Glory In 2026 T20 World Cup

Phil Salt-Jos Buttler continue to dazzle for England [Source: @CricktionaryX/X.com]

The introduction of Phil Salt as the opening partner for Jos Buttler has brought a revolution in England’s T20I side. Ever since they were brought together in March 2023, the duo has lit up the powerplays with fearless strokeplay, giving England rapid starts against the best bowling attacks.

In the recent second T20I against South Africa, Salt and Buttler went ballistic with a 126-run opening partnership, thus guiding the English side to a record-breaking total of 304 runs. 

Despite recent heroics, the big question is whether this partnership is enough to take England all the way in the 2026 T20 World Cup.

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Phil Salt And Jos Buttler Are England’s Yin And Yang

Let’s understand the impact of Phil Salt and Jos Buttler’s opening partnerships on England's overall T20I success in recent years in terms of numbers.

Between 9 March 2023 and 17 September 2025, Buttler and Salt have played in 18 T20Is, scoring 1041 runs at an astounding average of 61.23. This makes them the most successful opening pair in T20I history (minimum 1000 runs), ahead of even Babar Azam-Mohammad Rizwan (46.70) and Rohit Sharma-KL Rahul (41.52).

What sets them apart even more is how efficient they are. In just 18 innings, they’ve stitched together 4 century stands and 6 half-century stands. That means they’ve crossed 50+ ten times in 18 innings, or more than once every two games, a remarkable strike rate of consistency for any T20 pair.

To put their dominance in perspective, during this period, England averaged 155.82 runs per match, and Salt-Buttler partnerships alone contributed 57.83 runs per game. In fact, they were responsible for 16.7% of all England’s T20I runs in these years. 

Salt-Buttler On Fire, But England’s Middle Order - Not So Much!

(Table: Stats of Phil Salt-Jos Buttler's partnership in T20Is vs rest of England's middle order from March 9, 2023 to September 17, 2025)

However, England appear to be relying way too much on their super pair of Phil Salt and Jos Buttler. According to stats, while the English middle order have scored more runs overall (since they get more games collectively), their average of 21.38 is way below the openers’ standard. 

Essentially, once Salt and Buttler fall, England’s batting looks shaky and heavily dependent on power-hitting cameos rather than consistency. This shows a clear over-reliance on the opening duo. 

Yes, Salt and Buttler can dismantle any bowling attack, but in a competition as challenging as the T20 World Cup, one or two upsets at the top could place huge pressure on an under-performing middle order.

England Must Look Beyond Phil Salt-Jos Buttler

To genuinely compete for the 2026 T20 World Cup, England require balance. Their middle-order stars, such as Liam Livingstone, Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell, must step up, providing stability along with big-hitting cameo appearances

Until then, England’s hopes rest largely on the explosive bats of Phil Salt and Jos Buttler, a thrilling but risky bet.

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