It is being widely speculated that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) opener Phil Salt is all set to miss the final match of the IPL 2025 against Punjab Kings (PBKS). The England opener is believed to be expecting a child soon and has reportedly flown back to the UK to be with his family to celebrate the auspicious moment. 

Although the rumors have not been confirmed yet, if it holds true, then it can serve as a huge blow to the RCB. Salt has been in menacing form with the bat this season, and his absence could hurt RCB big time in this upcoming crunch contest. The franchise has not made an official announcement regarding his unavailability, but we won't know that for certain until a few minutes before the game.

See also: IPL 2025, Final: Probable Playing XI for RCB vs PBKS

Salt goes missing from team training

On the eve of the final, Salt was not seen on the ground with his team. He did not take part in the training session, but that is not highly unusual since players prefer getting trained in their own space. During instances of player absences, RCB head coach Andy Flower is known to play mind games, as he usually tends to keep the opposition guessing. Moreover, he also goes to extreme lengths and makes the injured players do warm-up drills just before the toss, thus serving as a perfect decoy tool to deceive the opposition.

To sum it all up, if Salt has indeed flown back home to observe the birth of their child, RCB will keep the news hidden from the public and won't let them know a few minutes prior to kick-off.