The 46th match of IPL 2025 is all set to be another cracking game of the 18th season of the Indian Premier League. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are up against Delhi Capitals, and one big news from the game is that Phil Salt is not playing for RCB.
In Salt's place, Jacob Bethell is playing and it will be interesting to see how the young Englishman goes about his business in his maiden IPL game. The reason for Phil Salt's exclusion is that he is suffering from fever. Phil Salt's absence is a big blow to RCB, as he has been the man in form this season, and has provided regular impetus with his power-hitting in the powerplay.
Jacob Bethell might open with Virat Kohli in Phil Salt's absence, or there is also an option of Devdutt Padikkal, who has opened in the IPL during previous seasons. Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, have got a boost ahead of the game. They have Faf du Plessis back for this game, and it adds an extra layer of experience and stability to their top order.
This is an important game for both teams, as the race for the playoffs is heating up. Both teams have 12 points in their kitty, but DC have played one game less, and one more win for either side would put them on the brink of qualification. RCB has won all their away games so far, and thus it will be interesting to see how Delhi Capitals tackle them at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) suffered a blow ahead of their crucial clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, with opener Phil Salt ruled out due to fever. Salt, who had taken part in practice on Saturday, looked fine during the session but could not recover fully in time for the match on Sunday. Salt has been a key figure for RCB this season after being bought for a massive Rs 11.5 crore in the auction.
In his nine appearances this season, the Englishman has scored 239 runs, including two impressive half-centuries, making him an important part of the team's top order. With Salt unavailable, England’s Jacob Bethell made his IPL debut for RCB. Captain Rajat Patidar, who won the toss and chose to bowl first, confirmed that Bethell replaced Salt for the game.
Patidar added that the wicket looked good for batting and preferred chasing in the conditions. Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals were boosted by the return of Faf du Plessis, who came back after missing four games due to a groin injury. In 4 matches he has played this season, Faf du Plessis scored 81 runs at an average of 27.
Delhi Capitals’ captain Axar Patel mentioned he would have preferred to bat first but was confident about adapting to the conditions as the match progressed. Sunday’s match is a high-stakes encounter, with the winner set to move to the top of the IPL 2025 points table, ahead of Gujarat Titans.
The last time these two teams met, KL Rahul's unbeaten 93 had guided DC to a six-wicket win over RCB. Fans were eager to see Virat Kohli’s homecoming, but Salt’s absence adds an unexpected twist to the contest.
On April 27, 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and opted to field first against Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2025 match 46 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Jacob Bethell replaced Phil Salt in the playing XI for RCB.
This is Bethell's maiden IPL appearance on April 27, 2025. Faf du Plessis has made his return to the Delhi Capitals side on April 27, 2025, after missing four games due to a groin injury.
RCB skipper Patidar revealed the reason behind the decision during the coin toss. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have decided to drop their explosive English opener Phil Salt from the playing XI for the match against the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2025). The news was confirmed by RCB skipper Rajat Patidar during the coin toss.
In the wicketkeeper-batter’s place, RCB have decided to hand a debut to another England cricketer, 21-year-old all-rounder Jacob Bethell. Notably, RCB had acquired Bethell for INR 2.6 crores at the auction last November. He will bring in versatility, with his ability to make meaningful contributions with both the bat and the ball.
Phil Salt has scored 239 runs in 9 innings this season at an average of 26.55 and a SR of 168.30, including two fifties. In contrast, in IPL 2024 with KKR, Salt had amassed 435 runs in just 12 games at an average touching 40 and SR over 180s.
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul(w), Axar Patel(c), Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar. Delhi Capitals Impact Subs: Ashutosh Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Jake Fraser McGurk, Madhav Tiwari, Tripurana Vijay.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal. Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact Subs: Devdutt Padikkal, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Swapnil Singh.
Jacob Bethell is now the youngest overseas player to make his debut for RCB in the IPL at just 21 years and 186 days old. He broke the record of Shimron Hetmyer, who made his RCB debut in IPL 2019 at the age of 22 years and 87 days. Bethell created history in his very first IPL match, scoring 12 runs off 6 balls before being dismissed.
After being put into bat first, Delhi Capitals had a decent start. But Josh Hazlewood struck the first blow as he removed Abhishek Porel for 28 runs. Karun Nair also departed after scoring just 4 runs. Faf du Plessis also fell for a struggling 22-run knock as Krunal Pandya took his wicket.
Captain Axar Patel fell prey to Hazlewood as he scored 13. KL Rahul looked to get some momentum after spending some time in the middle, but departed on 41 runs. Impact Player Ashutosh Sharma had a short stay at the crease, as he departed immediately after. After that, Tristan Stubbs and Vipraj Nigam provided some momentum to the innings, with the former scoring 34 from 18 balls.
They managed to score 162/8 at the end of their 20 overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the star of the show with three wickets, while Hazlewood also chipped in with two scalps.
This match is pivotal as both teams vie for a playoff spot, and the excitement among fans is palpable as they await the outcome.
