We'd rather have this loss now than in an eliminator - Salt

For the second straight day in IPL 2025, a playoff-bound team missed its chance to lock down a top-two finish. After Gujarat Titans stumbled against the already-eliminated Lucknow Super Giants on Thursday (May 22), Royal Challengers Bengaluru followed suit, falling to a 42-run loss at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad in a high-scoring clash. Both games featured teams batting first and piling up over 230 runs. RCB looked well-positioned during their chase, much like Gujarat had. Phil Salt, returning to the XI after nearly a month, exploded with a 62 off just 32 balls. His aggressive strokeplay, combined with an early burst from Virat Kohli, gave RCB serious momentum. However, Salt's dismissal saw the chase lose steam, and even a spark from Jitesh Sharma couldn’t keep them on course. At the post-match press conference, Salt remained composed, downplaying the impact of the loss on team morale. “You can see it as a setback, or just acknowledge the fact—we’ve qualified, we lost, but it’s not the playoffs yet,” he said. “Nobody likes losing, but better now than in a knockout.” Salt emphasized that RCB had done many things right. “At the 15-over mark, we were right there. One good over could’ve swung the game our way. Cricket’s like that—fine margins decide big moments. We’ll reflect and improve.” This IPL season has broken from tradition. In previous years, 16 points often secured a playoff berth and 18 nearly guaranteed a top-two spot. But this year’s fierce competition has pushed those thresholds higher. After the loss to SRH, RCB’s ceiling is 19 points—a figure that might not be enough for a top-two finish without other results falling in their favor. Since the playoffs format began in 2011, only once—2016—has a team outside the top-two gone on to win the title. That extra opportunity makes a top-two spot extremely valuable. Still, Salt insists RCB aren’t sweating over positions. “We’re in the playoffs. That’s what matters. Now it’s about playing fearless cricket to win the title. We’re not overthinking. Next up, we play Lucknow—our focus is there.” Salt’s recent journey has been far from smooth. A bout of illness kept him out of the May 3 clash against CSK. Then, an unexpected suspension of the tournament disrupted momentum, followed by a washout against KKR. When he returned to action on May 23, there was built-up emotion—but none of it showed in his batting. Reflecting on the past few weeks, Salt struck a thoughtful tone: “Being sick puts things into perspective. You start appreciating the small stuff—like just being healthy. I hadn’t played in weeks, and as a group, we were out of action for three. I’m just grateful to be back, competing again.”