RCB IPL 2026 Update: Big name popup, this Indian opener likely to replace Phil Salt

Suspense over Phil Salt remains. With a finger, he has returned to England and is yet to join the team for the IPL 2026 season. Whether he will be able to return for the remainder of the season is not clear; no official explanation has been provided either.

As there is no concrete information regarding the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) opener, there are a lot of speculations hovering around the corners of social media platforms. If Salt remains unavailable to make a comeback, then who will be the replacement?

Who will replace Phil Salt in IPL 2026?

In place of the injured Phil Salt, his international teammate, Jacob Bethell, played as an opener alongside Virat Kohli in the past few matches. There is no doubt over Bethell’s potential, but he has yet to prove it. It will be interesting to see how long RCB keeps their trust in him for the opening spot.

In case the team management decides to drop Jacob Bethell from the playing combination, and Salt remains absent from the selection process, then who will be opening the batting with Virat Kohli?

Mayank Agarwal as Phil Salt's replacement?

Some speculate that, as an immediate substitution, the team management can again dial up Mayank Agarwal’s number. In the previous season, when Devdutt Padikkal was ruled out of IPL 2025 because of an injury, RCB brought Agarwal as his replacement.

Agarwal made a decent performance in the 2025 season. He played 4 matches and scored 95 runs in total with an average of 31.66 and a strike rate of 148.43.

RCB brought Mayank Agarwal in place of Devdutt Padikkal, an Indian batter in place of another Indian batter, which makes sense. But Phil Salt is an overseas talent. In that case, is it possible to see Agarwal as a replacement for Salt, who is considered one of the best openers in the shortest format of the game?

An ‘X’ post claimed that RCB is considering Agarwal as a replacement for Salt. “Phil Salt is unavailable, and in case Phil Salt gets completely ruled out, then RCB is thinking of bringing Mayank Agarwal again as a replacement for Salt,” it is claimed.

However, some of the fans refuse to believe this claim. “Why will they bring an Indian player for an overseas slot?” one of the cricket fans raised the question. “Don't spread fake news,” another comment reads in the comment section of the post.