Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee is really impressed by England wicketkeeper-batsman Phil Salt’s explosive batting performance for the Calcutta Knights Riders (KKR) in the ongoing IPL 2024.
Lee has been supportive of Salt, backing his inclusion in the England squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the US and West Indies. He insisted that Salt’s dazzling performances with the bat for KKR in the ongoing IPL 2024 make him a strong candidate for England’s squad in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, which will begin on June 1.
The right-handed batsman has emerged as a key asset for KKR in their batting line-up this season. His standout performance came during KKR’s emphatic 7-wicket win over Delhi Capitals (DC) in their final game of IPL 2024 on April 29 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Phil Salt starred with the bat in KKR’s 7-wicket win over DC
DC captain Rishabh Pant opted to bat first at Eden Gardens after winning the toss and then suffered a heavy blow from Salt’s aggressive batting attack. The KKR opener played an impressive knock of 68 runs off just 33 balls, studded with 7 fours and 5 sixes, and set the tone for his team’s successful 154-run chase against Delhi in Kolkata.
Notably, Salt joined the KKR squad as a replacement for fellow England opener Jason Roy, who pulled out of IPL 2024 due to workload management issues. This decision turned out to be a stroke of luck for the two-time IPL champions as Salt has been incredible with the bat for them.
The Englishman has so far amassed 392 runs in the 9 matches he has played in the ongoing IPL 2024. Well, this performance was enough to impress Lee, who said that the England selectors must select him for the next T20 World Cup in 2024. The former Australian pacer also explained how Salt’s batting style aligns perfectly with England’s plans for the mega event.
Brett Lee wants England to pick Phil Salt in 2024 T20 World Cup squad
Brett Lee said on Star Sports: “I would definitely choose it. His game seems simple to me, very structured in the sense that he knows exactly through his mind what he is doing, he doesn’t try to hit the ball too much, he is a very clean hitter, a great ball. striker, but he doesn’t go out and try to, you know, make all these different, funky little shots.”
“The ball is up, it hits you in the area where it’s supposed to hit you and it comes back, which is, you know, the most important part.”
Talking about the KKR vs DC match, Delhi captain and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten 27 and chainaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav’s unbeaten 35 took the tourists to 153/9, with Varun Chakaravarthy emerging as KKR’s standout bowler with figures impressive 3/16 in 4 overs.
Apart from Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana also scalped two wickets each against DC. Chasing the target, Salt’s explosive fifty, captain Shreyas Iyer’s 33* and Venkatesh Iyer’s 26* were enough to take KKR to the line with 21 balls to spare and 7 wickets in hand against DC.