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Every injury or withdrawal comes as a blow for a team, but Jason Roy pulling out of IPL 2024 due to personal reasons came as a blessing in disguise for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The franchise roped in Roy's compatriot Phil Salt as a replacement, and the rest is history.
Salt landed in Kolkata a few days before the tournament began to join the pre-season camp. And he was an instant hit. The right-handed batter smashed a few half-centuries in practice games to dethrone Rahmanullah Gurbaz as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter.
His stature has grown with every passing game, with the Englishman chipping in with significant contribution with the bat. Salt's partnership with Sunil Narine at the top could solely be attributed to KKR's success this season. For the unknown, the Knight Riders are currently second in the standings after the Rajasthan Royals, with six victories from nine games.
Currently, Phil Salt is the highest run-scorer for the franchise and fifth overall with 392 runs from nine matches at an average of 49 and a strike rate of over 180. Although unrelated, Salt's impact has been so significant that it also earned him a place in England's preliminary T20 World Cup squad, scheduled to be played in the West Indies and the USA from June 1.
His consistent performance has already earned him the reputation of the best KKR opener after Gautam Gambhir, who happened to be the current mentor of the side. Gambhir, who led the Knight Riders to two IPL titles, has aggregated 3035 runs in 108 matches at an average of 31.61.
On that note, let's take a look at three reasons why Phil Salt is KKR's best opener since Gautam Gambhir.
#1 Phil Salt's consistency has been a talking point
Phil Salt has been the most consistent batter for KKR ever since Gautam Gambhir left the franchise ahead of IPL 2018. The Knight Riders have tried several options since their former skipper's departure, including Shubman Gill, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Venkatesh Iyer.
Barring Gill, who chipped in with excellent performances sporadically in the IPL 2020 and 2021 seasons, none of the KKR openers have made an impact on the team's performance.
Except for the game against defending champions Chennai Super Kings where he bagged a duck, the right-hander has made handy contributions in every game.
Salt's partnership with Narine has had a huge impact this season. The opening pair has accumulated 764 runs compared to the 906, scored by the other six highest run-scorers. Thus, it is evident the consistency and the impact that the wicketkeeper-batter has had on the team.
#2 Impact in KKR's victory
A batter can score thousands of runs but it is not worth it if it doesn't yield a result in the team's favor. Given the impact Phil Salt has had on the Kolkata Knight Riders' wins is noteworthy.
Salt averages an astounding 61.4 and strikes at a rate of 184.9 when Kolkata win a game. On the other hand, his average falls to 28.3 whenever KKR lose. Thus, it is evident that the Lancashire cricketer has had a massive impact on the side's performance in IPL 2024.
To take an example, Salt struck at a rate over 205 as KKR chased down 154 runs in just 16.3 overs against the Delhi Capitals last night. He aggregated 68 off just 33 balls, including seven boundaries and five sixes.
Kolkata posted 79 runs in the powerplay, which was the fifth time this year that they scored 75 or more in the first six overs. Phil Salt stressed the importance of showing intent at the start after another blistering knock in front of a packed Eden Gardens crowd.
"It is high-risk at times, but it is also about putting the odds in your favor and not taking the risks you don't want to," Salt told after the game against Delhi. "That's the sort of balance that every opening batter tries to strike. Sometimes you can miss the boat a few innings in a row, but you just got to keep backing yourself and sort of taking those right options."
#3 Converting starts to big knocks
Gautam Gambhir had a penchant for playing big knocks and batting throughout the 20 overs once he got a start. KKR lacked that sort of an opener for several years despite Gill showing his brilliance occasionally. They have now found a batter who has a habitual liking for converting the starts into big knocks once he gets set.
Nine games into the season, Phil Salt has shown that he isn't someone who throws away good starts. If he gets his eyes in and crosses the 20-25 range, Salt is in for a big knock. Out of six occasions when the Englishman has crossed the 20-run mark, he has gone on to score four half-centuries.
The Knight Riders think tank will want their opener to continue the dazzling form as they aim to end their decade-long trophy drought.
