IPL 2025: Teams Set To Compete For Power Hitter Phil Salt In Upcoming Auction

England international Phil Salt has been in excellent form recently. The dynamic opening batter scored 435 runs, including four half-centuries. He averaged nearly 40 in 12 innings and maintained an impressive strike rate of 182.

The 27-year-old played a crucial role in KKR's title-winning campaign in IPL 2024. He was primarily responsible for explosive starts and key performances, which helped the Knight Riders lay a solid foundation.

Currently, he is busy playing in the T20 World Cup 2024, where he scored 147 runs in five games for England. He will likely be a hot commodity in the IPL 2025 auction, given his form and power-hitting abilities. Several teams are expected to enter the race to place costly bids for the aggressive right-hander, although KKR will use RTM to retain him.

Nothing went well for the five-time IPL champions in the IPL 2024 season. It all started with MI team management sacking Rohit Sharma as captain. Since the veteran was in poor form last season, it is highly likely that he might part ways with the MI franchise. If that's the case, then one of their opening slots will be left vacant. MI are known to target ambitious hitters at the auction and will look to place a bid for Phil Salt.

The CSK team management pulled off a strategic move by recruiting Rachin Ravindra for just INR 1.8 lakh at the IPL 2024 auction, but the signing didn't yield rewards. Ravindra's maiden IPL season didn't go well as he mustered 222 runs at an average of 22.20 and a strike rate of 160.87. CSK had to frequently change their opening pairs, which caused them troubles. It is likely that CSK might place a bid for Phil Salt at the next auction.

Delhi Capitals

The Delhi-based franchise failed to qualify for the playoffs by finishing sixth on the table. Their opening pair - David Warner and Prithvi Shaw - failed to make a significant impact. Since the opening combination failed miserably, it is very likely that they will be looking to buy a player who possesses situational awareness and the ability to dictate terms in the powerplay overs. DC are one of the teams that will show interest in placing a bid for Phil Salt.