Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee is really impressed with England wicketkeeper-batsman Phil Salt’s explosive batting performance Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing IPL 2024.
Lee has campaigned hard for Salt and supported his inclusion in England’s squad for the upcoming 2024 ICC T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies. He insisted that Salt’s stunning 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 begins on June 1.
The right-handed batsman has emerged as an important asset for KKR in the batting lineup this season. His outstanding performance came in KKR’s comfortable 7-wicket win over Delhi Capitals (DC) in their final IPL 2024 match on April 29 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Phil Salt starred with the bat in KKR’s 7-wicket win against DC
The DC captain, Rishabh Pant, after winning the toss, opted to bat first at the Eden Gardens and then suffered a major blow from an onslaught of Salt’s aggressive batting. The KKR opener delivered a stunning knock of 68 runs off just 33 balls, peppered with 7 fours and 5 sixes, laying the foundation for his team’s successful 154-run comeback against Delhi in Kolkata.
Notably, Salt joined the KKR squad as a replacement for fellow England opener Jason Roy, who withdrew from the IPL 2024 due to workload concerns. This decision proved to be a godsend for the two-time IPL champions as Salt was great 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, that performance was enough to impress Lee, who said the England selectors must select him for the coming season T20 World Cup in 2024. The former Australian pacer also explained how Salt’s batting style fits perfectly with England’s plans for the mega event.
Brett Lee wants England to name Phil Salt in the 2024 T20 World Cup squad
Brett Lee said on Star Sports: “I would definitely choose him. To me his game looks straightforward, it looks very structured in a way because he knows exactly what he’s doing through his head, he doesn’t try to hit the ball too far, he’s a very clean ball hitter, such a great one Ball striker, but he doesn’t go out and try to take all these different crazy little shots.
“The ball is up, it hits you in the area where it’s supposed to hit you, and it supports itself, which, as you know, is the most important part of it.”
Speaking of KKR against DC, Delhi captain and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant with 27 and unbeaten Chainaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav with 35 took the tourists to 153/9, with Varun Chakaravarthy emerging as the standout bowler for with impressive figures of 3/16 KKR bowled out 4 overs.
Apart from Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana also scalped two wickets each against DC. In pursuit of the target, Salt’s explosive fifty, captain Shreyas Iyers 33* and Venkatesh Iyers 26* were enough to take the KKR over the line against the DC with 21 balls remaining and 7 wickets in hand.