Predicted RCB Playing XI vs SRH: Will Rajat Patidar & Phil Salt be fit for selection?

3 weeks ago 104

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have qualified for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Playoffs. However, they are yet to confirm a top-2 finish. The Gujarat Titans (GT) have ended the group stage with 18 points, the same as RCB, and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) can kick the reigning champions from atop the points table to third.

SRH aren’t going to be pushovers. Although they did lose the IPL 2026 opener against RCB, they’ve picked up form and lost just 2 of the last 9 matches. Moreover, SRH are playing at home and have won 4 of the 6 matches in Hyderabad, including 4 of the last 5. So, RCB needs to field their best XI.

Rajat Patidar fit

In their last match against the Punjab Kings, Rajat Patidar missed out, and Jitesh Sharma was the interim captain. Luckily for RCB, their number four is fit for selection against SRH. Mo Bobat, Director of Cricket at RCB, has confirmed that Patidar will play and was rested from the last game as a precaution, considering the playoffs are ahead of them.

“Rajat is good to go. We were cautious and did not take any risks with him. We thought we would give him a little bit longer to recover and rest, but he’s here; he is practicing, and he is good to go,” Bobat told reporters in Hyderabad on the eve of the SRH vs RCB match.

Question over Phil Salt’s availability

Phil Salt is expected to join RCB before the IPL 2026 Playoffs. The Englishman had returned home after sustaining a finger injury. Salt has missed the last 7 matches, with Jacob Bethell replacing him as Virat Kohli’s opening partner. However, the move hasn’t worked for RCB.

Phil Salt vs Jacob Bethell as RCB openers in IPL 2026

InningsRunsHighestAverageStrike
Rate50s

Phil Salt	6	202	78	33.66	168.33	2
Jacob Bethell	7	96	27	13.71	124.67	0

Bethell has played more extra games compared to Salt, yet his run tally isn’t even half. The bigger issue is that Bethell’s game isn’t complementing Kohli’s. Salt usually takes the onus in the powerplay, and Kohli settles down, taking control of the game in the middle overs.

Neither has Bethell been able to anchor nor play the role of the aggressor. Kohli has taken over, playing both roles. Others, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, and Venkatesh Iyer, have taken the burden of Bethell’s lack of form. RCB will hope Salt plays against SRH and then gets ready for the playoffs.

Predicted RCB Playing XI vs SRH


1	Virat Kohli	Opener
2	*Jacob Bethell	Opener
3	Devdutt Padikkal	Top-order batter
4	Rajat Patidar (c)	Middle-order batter
5	Tim David	Middle-order batter
6	Jitesh Sharma (wk)	Wicketkeeper
7	Venkatesh Iyer	Batting all-rounder (pace)
8	Krunal Pandya	Bowling all-rounder (spin)
9	Bhuvneshwar Kumar	Right-arm fast bowler
10	Josh Hazlewood	Right-arm fast bowler
11	Rasikh Salam	Right-arm fast bowler
Impact Sub	Suyash Sharma/ Romario Shepherd