England national cricket team hot prospect Jacob Bethell has been racing against time to be fit for the home summer opener against New Zealand after picking up a finger injury playing during IPL 2026 The below information was first sent as a newsletter by our magazine.
Bethell injured his left-hand ring finger whilst fielding for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their recent win over Punjab Kings at Dharamsala. The injury came when the young batter attempted to save a four by throwing himself close to the boundary rope while fielding at square leg in the final stages of the game.
The injury subsequently forced Bethell to miss RCB’s last league match of the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he watched from the touchline with protective strapping on his injured hand.
The ECB subsequently announced that Bethell would be returning to England for further assessment. The extent of the injury will be assessed by trainers, with hopes he may play in next week’s first Test at Lord’s starting on June 4.
The 21-year-old had only recently cemented his place in England’s Test plans with a maiden Test century at the SCG against Australia earlier this year. If he is fit for the opener of the series, then he’s likely to open with No 3.
Unlike Bathurst, Bethell’s IPL stint with RCB had been a mixed bag in which he scored 96 runs from his seven innings. Even merely by participating in a tournament that was so close to England’s international season, he had already started a debate among former players and cricket pundits.
If Bethell is not able to play, Somerset batter James Rew could be another option to move closer to a place in the squad – and fellow RCB player Jordan Cox was also being considered as a potential replacement.
On the other hand, the absence of Bethell paved the way for Venkatesh Iyer at RCB and he smacked a 19-ball 44 at the top-order. Due to the same finger problem, England wicketkeeper-batter Phil Salt has been back with the RCB after resolving his own injury before the playoffs as well.
The rest of England’s Test squad are meeting in Loughborough for a training camp ahead of the New Zealand series with RCB releasing a statement to wish Bethell well.