IPL 2023: Philip Salt smashes 45-ball 87 versus RCB
Philip Salt brought up his second fifty in the Indian Premier League (IPL) against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He played a crucial hand for the Delhi Capitals in match number 50. He slammed a 45-ball 87 and his knock was laced with eight fours and six sixes. He struck at 193.33. Courtesy of his innings, DC registered their fourth win this season. Here's more.
A terrific knock from Salt
Salt batted with aggression and gave DC a flying start. He added 60 runs with skipper David Warner as the hosts were 70/0 after the end of the powerplay. Later, he stitched a 59-run stand with Mitchell Marsh and continued to play his strokes. After Marsh's departure, Salt added 52 runs with Rilee Rossouw. Salt was dismissed in the 16th over by Karn Sharma.
A look at Salt's overall numbers
Salt was picked by DC at the IPL 2023 auction for Rs. 2 crore. He struggled in the first few matches but he slammed his maiden fifty against SRH, though DC lost that match. This was his second fifty in the competition. Playing his 185th game in the 20-over format, Salt now has 4,269 runs. He smashed his 30th fifty.
How did the DC innings pan out?
Chasing 182, DC were off to a fierce start as Warner and Salt added 60 runs. Later, Salt continued his exploits with a 59-run partnership with Marsh. While the latter departed, Salt stitched a 52-run stand with Rossouw, taking DC to safer shores. His second fifty of the season helped them reach the target in 16.4 overs and won by seven wickets.
Two fifties in three home matches this season
Salt has enjoyed playing at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. In three innings at home, he has slammed two fifties and averages 50.33. He owns a splendid strike rate of 181.92 at home. Whereas, he has struggled in the away games, scoring two golden ducks against GT and SRH. He was dismissed by Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's seaming deliveries.
The second-highest score for a DC batter versus RCB
As per Cricbuzz, the 26-year-old swashbuckler's knock of 87 was the second-highest individual score for a DC batter against RCB. He is only behind Quinton de Kock's sensational 51-ball 108 back in 2016. Here are the top four scores: 108(51) - Quinton de Kock, Bengaluru, 2016 87(45) - Phil Salt, Delhi, (2023) 86(54) - Gautam Gambhir, Delhi, 2008 85(48) - Rishabh Pant, Bengaluru, 2018.
Salt's numbers in IPL 2023
Salt registered his second fifty and has raced to 151 runs in five matches at an average of 30.20. He is now the third-highest scorer for DC this season. He owns an impressive strike rate of 177.64. This is also his highest IPL score.
