NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar said opener Phil Salt is fit ahead of their IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 clash against Gujarat Titans in Dharamshala on Tuesday, but added that the team management is yet to decide whether he will be part of the playing XI.Salt had missed the latter part of the league stage because of injury after featuring in the first six matches of the season. Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Monday, Patidar said the England batter remains under observation. “Salt is fit, he is under observation. But we have not decided yet on our playing XI. We will look at the wicket and then we will decide.”RCB finished at the top of the points table with 18 points from 14 matches, edging GT on net run rate after both teams ended level on points. The winner of Qualifier 1 will go straight into the IPL final, while the losing side will have another chance through Qualifier 2 on Friday against the winner of the Eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals.Patidar said RCB’s focus has remained on earning direct qualification into the final.“Win and go to the final. That is chat we have had from day 1. Topping the table was something we manifested. We will get the rest, if we win this match,” he said.Despite topping the point table, Patidar described the clash against GT as evenly balanced.“On the given day, the team which will perform better under the pressure, they will win. We just need to hold our nerves.”RCB will face a Gujarat bowling attack that has been among the most consistent this season. Patidar, however, backed his own bowlers to respond strongly after a forgettable outing against SRH in the last league game.Bhuvneshwar Kumar had an expensive outing in that match, but Patidar said the experienced pacer remains key to RCB’s plans.“He is an experienced bowler. The last game had not gone the way we wanted but bowling is our strength and the way we bowl in the powerplay, I think that will be very crucial (against GT). So we look for early wickets and that is what we have done so far. That is what Bhuvi, Hazlewood and Rasik are doing. So we hope that we continue the same process.”
