Kolkata Knight Riders’ pacer Harshit Rana and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Phil Salt have added some fun and excitement ahead of their upcoming IPL clash, thanks to a cheeky exchange on social media.
The two players, who were once teammates during KKR’s title-winning run last season, found themselves in a light-hearted back-and-forth after a post on KKR’s Instagram page poked fun at Harshit Rana’s well-known flying kiss celebration.
Check out the post and comments made by the cricketers:
Phil Salt, now playing for RCB, jumped into the comment section with a humorous remark, joking about how Harshit Rana’s celebration usually ends with him losing his match fee.
Phil Salt commented, “They missed step 3, lose your match fee because of step 2”. This was a reference to the fact that Harshit had been fined and even handed a one-match suspension earlier this season for using the celebration during games against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals.
Harshit Rana didn’t let the joke pass quietly. He fired back with a clever response aimed at Phil Salt, suggesting that the next part of the celebration would be reserved just for him when they meet on the field. Harshit responded with, “Step 3 is gonna be for you”.
Both Phil Salt and Harshit Rana were key figures in KKR’s successful campaign last year. Phil Salt, opening the batting, racked up over 400 runs, while Harshit Rana made a big impression with 19 wickets in just 13 games. Their on-field chemistry has now turned into a friendly rivalry as they face off from opposite sides this season.
Their upcoming match, set for May 17 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, is already shaping up to be one of the more exciting fixtures, especially after their earlier meeting this season. In the season opener, RCB got the better of KKR at Eden Gardens, thanks to strong batting performances from Virat Kohli and Phil Salt and effective bowling from Krunal Pandya and Josh Hazlewood.
As things stand, both RCB and KKR are in the playoff hunt. RCB has made a strong start with two wins out of three matches, while KKR’s results have been mixed, with two wins and two losses. However, there’s still a long way to go in the tournament.
Before their second match, both the teams have important games coming up. KKR will take on Lucknow Super Giants at home on April 8, while RCB is facing Mumbai Indians in an away game on April 7 (today). As the season progresses, the rivalry and the banter between Harshit Rana and Phil Salt is just one of many storylines keeping fans entertained.
