April 30, 2025: Royal Challengers Bengaluru opener Phil Salt made headlines after a recent comment about his teammate Virat Kohli, calling him a “colleague” rather than a friend, before seemingly softening his stance later. The two have formed a formidable opening partnership for RCB in the 2024 IPL season, helping the team reach the top of the points table.
In a video posted by RCB on social media, Salt was asked by the host whether he now considered Kohli a friend, referencing a past interview where the English batter had said there are no friends in the IPL. Salt briefly responded:
“Colleagues.”
The remark sparked discussions online, given the duo’s on-field chemistry and RCB’s recent success. However, it appeared to be made in jest, with Salt’s tone suggesting a light-hearted take rather than any rift.
Virat Kohli, meanwhile, continues to lead from the front, scoring 443 runs in 10 matches at an average of 63.29, including his sixth half-century of the season against Delhi Capitals. He currently sits second in the Orange Cap race.
After RCB’s latest win, Kohli emphasized the importance of building partnerships in T20 cricket.
“People are forgetting the importance of stitching partnerships or going deep into the innings… You need to have professionalism, to read the situation and try and get into a position where you can start dominating the bowlers,” Kohli said post-match.
Kohli also pointed out that on slower pitches, batters need to adapt and rotate the strike rather than simply attacking from ball one—a method that has served him well in RCB’s strong campaign so far.