England Opener Phil Salt Withdraws From West Indies T20s After Becoming Father

England opener Phil Salt is set to miss the upcoming T20 series against the West Indies after being granted paternity leave.

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England opener Phil Salt will miss the upcoming three-match T20 International series against the West Indies after being granted paternity leave following the birth of his child earlier this week. 
Salt had gone back home for the birth of his child after playing a match-winning knock of 56 not out off 27 balls in Royal Challengers Bengaluru beating Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025 in New Chandigarh.
He then reached Ahmedabad at 3 am on Tuesday ahead of the title clash against Punjab Kings, which RCB won by six runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium to win their maiden IPL trophy. Though Salt made only 16 runs in the final, his relay catch to dismiss Priyansh Arya set the tone for RCB to end their 18-year-long wait of achieving championship glory. Salt has been a pivotal player for RCB this season, amassing 403 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 175.90 and an average of 35.18. His presence at the top order, alongside Virat Kohli, has been instrumental in RCB's journey to the final. 

Salt, who played a pivotal role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's maiden IPL title win in 2025, has been replaced in the England squad by Surrey batter Jamie Smith. 
The T20I series kicks off on June 6 at the Banks Homes Riverside in Durham, followed by matches in Bristol and Southampton on June 8 and 10, respectively. Salt's absence provides an opportunity for Jamie Smith to showcase his talent on the international stage, as England continues to build depth in their white-ball setup.

England's updated T20I squad includes: Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Jamie Smith, and Luke Wood.