Phil Salt notched up his fourth half-century at Eden Gardens in the IPL 2024, playing a pivotal role in Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) on Monday night, with 21 balls remaining.

Salt’s aggressive batting saw him score 68 runs off just 33 balls, with an impressive 60 runs amassed during the powerplay alone. During this phase, he struck seven fours and four sixes, propelling KKR to a commanding total of 79 runs, marking the fifth occasion this season where they have scored 75 or more runs within the first six overs.

“It is high-risk at times, but it is also about putting the odds in your favour and not taking the risks you don’t want to,” Salt told the host broadcaster after the game. “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.”

Salt strategically targeted Lizaad Williams from whom he amassed 15 runs off the 23 runs scored in Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) first over against Delhi Capitals (DC). He continued his onslaught against Khaleel Ahmed, hitting him for three fours and a six in the final over of the powerplay. During the fielding restrictions, Salt faced 28 of the 36 balls, while his opening partner Sunil Narine played a supporting role.

The duo achieved their fifth fifty-plus opening stand in the IPL 2024, reaching the milestone off just 26 balls and maintaining their successful season as an opening pair with a 79-run partnership. Throughout nine innings, Salt and Narine have accumulated 485 runs, the highest tally for any opening pair in this IPL season. Additionally, their scoring rate of 12.43 runs per over is the second-highest among opening pairs who have batted together at least five times.