Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s upbeat dressing-room environment spilled into public view after all-rounder Tim David jokingly called out coach Dinesh Karthik’s “favouritism” towards Phil Salt, a moment that arrived with RCB sitting at the top of the IPL 2026 points table.

 

The exchange followed an Instagram video in which Karthik described Salt’s hands as the “safest in town”, a line prompted by the England batter’s sharp catching standards early in the campaign. David responded in the comments with “Reeks of Favouritism”, turning what could have been routine praise into straight-faced camp humour that reflected the champions’ current comfort level.

 

Salt’s fielding praise triggers playful dressing-room banter

 

The comment was rooted in Salt’s standout catch in RCB’s opening game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he produced a diving effort to dismiss Ishan Kishan in what remains one of the early contenders for catch of the season.

 

Rather than sounding like internal hierarchy, the public exchange carried the statistical ease of a side winning regularly. The satire stayed in the tone, not the tension: when the table leaders are collecting points, even coaching praise becomes content. RCB’s fielding has been a defining edge through the first phase, and Salt’s work behind and around the stumps has added visible sharpness to their starts.

 

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