Predicted RCB playing XI vs GT, Qualifier 1: Phil Salt to return, Devdutt Padikkal-Venkatesh Iyer conundrum

RCB will be hoping that Phil Salt returns for the Qualifier 1 clash vs GT while they will have to choose between Venkatesh Iyer & Devdutt Padikkal.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be pinning their hopes on Phil Salt to return for the Qualifier 1 tie against the Gujarat Titans (GT) as they aim to reach their second consecutive IPL 2026 final. The defending champions will take on GT in Dharamsala after finishing at the top of the IPL 2026 points table with 9 wins from 14 matches. Salt, who was injured and missed the last few games, is expected to make his return to the line-up, replacing Jacob Bethell. Meanwhile, RCB also are tasked with making a tough call on whether Venkatesh Iyer should feature in the playing XI, instead of Devdutt Padikkal.

Predicted RCB playing XI vs GT, Qualifier 1 on IPL 2026

Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (C), Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar
Impact players: Suyash Sharma / Venkatesh Iyer

Why RCB desperately need Salt

Phil Salt, who returned home earlier this month for a further assessment of an injury that he sustained while fielding near the boundary ropes, has returned to the RCB camp and has travelled with the side to Dharamshala ahead of the Qualifier 1 clash. Recent posts shared on social media by his RCB teammates show that the England star is recovering well. RCB desperately need Salt for the Qualifier 1 clash against GT, especially since his replacement – Bethell – has failed to fare well in the limited opportunities that he has gotten.

In 7 matches, Bethell has managed to score just 96 runs, with a highest score of 27. His scores for RCB so far in IPL 2026 are 14, 20, 5, 4, 27, 15, and 11. Salt, on the other hand, has functioned in perfect sync with Virat Kohli at the top of the order since 2025, and has scored 202 runs from 6 games in IPL 2026, averaging 33.66, and has also scored two fifties in this season. Therefore, RCB will be better off with Salt returning to the line-up in the all-important contest.

Devdutt vs Iyer

Devdutt Padikkal, who returned to RCB’s line-up as a regular after missing some games in 2025, has scored 433 runs from 13 innings in IPL 2026. The Karnataka batter has maintained a superior strike rate of 171.82, having struck three fifties in this season already. He has featured in all 14 league stage matches for RCB in this season, and hence is unlikely to be left out of the playing XI in the game against GT.

However, Venkatesh Iyer has also been equally impressive, even though he has played just 5 games in which he has amassed 158 runs. In the majority of the games, the MP all-rounder was used as an impact player, and in RCB’s final IPL 2026 league stage game against SRH, he slammed a quickfire 44-run knock off 19 balls.

Given the nature of the surface at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, which favours the batters, RCB will be keen to have both the batters in their line-up, whenever they are batting. While Devdutt fits into the playing XI as a regular, Iyer could be brought in as an impact player to boost the team’s batting depth.

What will be RCB’s bowling line-up?

RCB’s bowling line-up is expected to comprise of a pace-heavy attack, spearheaded by Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood. The last time the team played at the venue, 7 out of the 8 wickets, with Rasikh Salam Dar picking up three wickets. Therefore, the team will rely heavily on their fast bowlers, while they will deploy Suyash Sharma as the lone specialist spinner. But that will depend on whether they bowl or bat first.