The Royal Challengers Bengaluru are all set to lock horns with the Gujarat Titans in the Qualifier 1 clash of the IPL 2026. Both teams will be in action on Tuesday, May 26, at the serene HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. The defending champions finished the league-stage of the tournament at the top of the standings and became the first team to secure a playoff berth. The Titans, on the other hand, finished second and are entering the clash on the back of a mammoth 89-run win over the Chennai Super Kings.
Ahead of the high-voltage clash, the Royal Challengers skipper Rajat Patidar addressed the media where he spoke about several aspects including the playing XI for the game. Patidar shared that Phil Salt, who played a crucial role in the squad before getting injured, is doing well and is participating in drills. However, the skipper added that the playing XI hasn’t been decided yet.
Virat Kohli and Phil Salt during Today's Practice Session. - Phil Salt has a finger splint 👀 pic.twitter.com/WeUpCJqEeR
— Virat Kohli Fan Club (@Trend_VKohli) May 25, 2026
In case, Salt takes on the ground on Tuesday, he is highly likely to open with Virat Kohli. “Salt is fit. He is under observation. He has been participating in a few drills but we haven’t decided on our playing XI yet. We will look at the pitch and decide,” Patidar told the media.
Notably, the 29-year-old injured a finger on his left hand while trying to save a boundary in the loss to Delhi Capitals on April 18. Since then, he hasn’t played and also returned home to recover.
The way he presents himself is extraordinary: Rajat Patidar on Venkatesh Iyer
The RCB batter and skipper also talked about Venkatesh Iyer and said that his readiness despite limited opportunities throughout the season reflected his character. "I know Venky from childhood and the way he presents himself is extraordinary,” Patidar said while talking about Iyer.
“The way he plays in any given situation and his flexibility in the batting order, I really like his attitude. When he was in KKR, he was their main player. But in the RCB starting XI, he didn't get any chances. He also knew that we weren't going to be making any changes. But he accepted that. And he contributed as much as he could from outside.”
"And when he got the chance to play, he was ready. He was preparing himself even when he wasn't getting opportunities. But the time he spent in nets, the quality he showed with DK (batting coach Dinesh Karthik) - we were all practicing together, so I was watching him, and we kept talking. And the way he communicated showed he was ready, and as soon as he got the opportunity, he cashed in,” he further added.
