Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull has backed Royal Challengers Bengaluru to persist with Venkatesh Iyer as Virat Kohli's opening partner in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). RCB, who are set to lock horns with Gujarat Titans in an action-packed Qualifier 1 clash on Tuesday, are having to deal with a selection dilemma given the availability of both Phil Salt and Venkatesh Iyer. Salt, who has returned to full fitness ahead of the Qualifier 1 showdown, has now rejoined the RCB camp and is available for selection. Following the injury, he had been sidelined with a finger injury and missed several matches during the league stage of the tournament.

According to Doull, slotting Salt straight back into the playing line-up could disrupt the rhythm RCB have managed to build at the top of the order in recent games. Moreover, he stressed that playoff matches are not an ideal stage for experimentation, especially after a player is returning after spending some time away from action. Venkatesh was recently promoted to open alongside Kohli on two occasions, and he repaid the faith with a remarkable intent.  

"I would stick with Venkatesh Iyer as the opener alongside Virat Kohli. Phil Salt has been out for three and a half weeks. Coming back from a long layoff, especially with a finger injury, is never easy. He is a quality player and has done well for RCB and England in T20s, but match fitness and shot-timing take time to return. The playoffs are not the place to test that. Venkatesh has looked good in the last two games. He played well against SRH and was also good against Punjab,” Simon Doull said on JioStar.

Venkatesh has been very powerful for RCB in recent innings. He blitzed a blazing 44 off 19 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and also brought up a scorching half-century against Punjab Kings, playing a big role in RCB's qualification for the playoff. Doull also believed that Venkatesh has forged a great rhythm with Virat Kohli at the top.

“He has struck a solid rhythm at the top with Kohli. Yes, Salt has a stronger partnership record with Virat, but in cricket, you always go with the player in form. Form matters more than reputation, especially in knockout games. The biggest risk is bringing in someone who hasn't played competitive cricket for weeks. I would continue with Venkatesh at the top. Phil Salt is too good an option to have on the bench, but right now, Venkatesh deserves to keep his place,” said Doull.