Follow UsPhil Salt is unquestionably one of the best openers going around in world cricket currently, and he’s shown his class in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), getting Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) off to multiple fliers in the powerplay.
Salt single-handedly finished off the CSK, KKR and RR games in the powerplay, and was on course to do the same in the clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) before suffering an unfortunate run out.
However, Punjab Kings have found a way to completely nullify Salt’s threat. How? By simply throwing the ball to Arshdeep Singh.
Two games in the span of three days against PBKS, and across the two matches, Salt has ended up managing just 5 off 7 balls. He’s perished in the very first over of the innings on both occasions, and it’s Arshdeep who has got the better of him in both games.
The numbers tell that Salt simply has been unable to figure out Arshdeep.
The explosive right-handed opener has now faced 32 balls against Arshdeep in T20s, and has managed just 25 runs while getting dismissed four times. He averages 6.3 against Arshdeep, which is the third-lowest average for him against any bowler who has dismissed him at least three times.
Lowest average for Phil Salt against a bowler in T20s (min 3 dismissals)
3.3 - Adam Milne
4.3 - Adam Zampa
6.3 - Arshdeep Singh
6.3 - Nuwan Thushara
Remarkably, each of Salt’s four dismissals against Arshdeep have come in 2025.
Should these two sides meet for a third time in IPL 2025 in the playoffs, it goes without saying Punjab and Arshdeep will have the upper hand over Salt.