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"Abi kicked me out...": Phil Salt reveals the selfless decision behind his IPL 2025 final return

Rajgeeta Yadav

Phil Salt reveals [Source: @phil_salt/Instagram] Phil Salt reveals [Source: @phil_salt/Instagram] 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were uncertain about the availability of their explosive opener Phil Salt for the IPL 2025 final. He had skipped training on the eve of the big match, and therefore many reports suggested he might miss the clash. 

However, Salt eventually returned on the day of the final and it was all because of a decision made by his wife.

After RCB beat Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1, Salt flew back to England to be with his wife, Abi, for the birth of their first child. On June 1, their son was born. Although Salt wanted to be present for both his family and his team, Abi insisted that he should not miss another final. As a result, she told him to get on the next plane back to India.

"I was in Ahmedabad two days before the final, and got a phone call off the missus to say it was definitely happening," he told ESPN. "I got on the plane as quickly as I could."

"Abi kicked me out the door, basically," he says, laughing. "She said, 'You have to play'. She made the decision for me, which was very funny - and very selfless of her."

Salt’s determination to play was even stronger because he had missed the 2024 final with Kolkata Knight Riders due to national duty. That absence hurt, especially because KKR went on to win the title without him. Therefore, this time, he was eager to avoid the same regret.

Phil Salt Relives RCB’s Historic Triumph

Salt landed in Ahmedabad on the morning of the final. Later that night, he scored a quick 16 off 9 balls and took a stunning catch in the deep. Consequently, RCB defeated Punjab Kings to win their first-ever IPL trophy after 18 attempts. For Salt, it was also a second consecutive IPL title, as he had been part of KKR’s winning squad in 2024.

Reflecting on the experience, Salt admitted that most of the final felt like a blur. He said, 

"I missed an IPL final the year before, and that one really hurt because we [Kolkata Knight Riders] went on to win it. I was part of everything leading in, and then to not be a part of it did sting a bit… The final was a little bit of a blur, until the last over, which I remember second by second. It all happened very quick… It was really, really special."

Salt had already been one of RCB’s top performers in IPL 2025. Across 12 matches before the final, he scored 387 runs at an average of 35.18 and a blazing strike rate of 175.90. In fact, his unbeaten 56 off 27 balls in Qualifier 1 was proof of his match-winning impact.

Since making his debut with Delhi Capitals in 2023, Salt has steadily grown into one of the IPL’s most dangerous openers. Overall, in three seasons, he has scored 1,056 runs in 34 innings with a strike rate of 176.