Former England captain Michael Vaughan has advised young all-rounder Jacob Bethell to consider heading back to the UK from the Indian Premier League 2026, citing injury worries and the growing uncertainty around whether he will be used by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the run-up to the playoffs. Bethell had arrived in the tournament with high hopes after strong displays for England earlier in the year, but he has found it tough to translate that promise into consistent impact at IPL level.
So far in IPL 2026, the left-handed batter has managed just 163 runs across nine matches, a return that underscores a challenging season for him. His limited influence has also coincided with fitness concerns, with Bethell being ruled out of RCB’s last league fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 22 due to a finger injury.
With Bethell unavailable, RCB were forced to adjust their batting setup for the match. Venkatesh Iyer came in to open alongside Virat Kohli, while the franchise also looked ahead to the knockout phase with the expectation that Phil Salt would return to the squad. Meanwhile, captain Rajat Patidar re-entered the playing XI after recovering from a finger injury of his own.
As England prepare for their Test summer, starting against New Zealand on June 4, Vaughan believes Bethell’s priorities should shift toward recovery and national commitments if he is unlikely to play a meaningful role in the playoffs. He argued that the England management should get a clear view of Bethell’s fitness before the Test series begins.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Vaughan said: “If Jacob Bethell’s injured, he should be on the next plane home to England. England plays a Test match on June 4th, so make sure England gets a look at him before potentially seeing whether he’s fit or not going to be fit for the Test against New Zealand. I’d think he’s better off back in the UK getting assessed.”
Vaughan went on to acknowledge how valuable IPL exposure can be for emerging players, but insisted that England’s preparations must now come first. He suggested that even if staying on until the end is the usual approach, the situation should be judged by whether Bethell is actually in contention to feature for RCB.
“I’m being a bit old school, I guess they’ll say he’s got to stay till the end,” Vaughan added. “But if he’s not going to play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, England have got a training camp this next week. He should be back home in the UK.”
The former England skipper also pointed to the experience Bethell has already gathered by being around IPL setups for two seasons. Vaughan believes that time in the environment has helped his development, even if this season has not produced the same level of success.
“You know I’m a big believer in the IPL. If you’re going to play, it grows your game massively,” Vaughan said. “And obviously, when you’re a young player in the dressing room with lights, I completely get it.”
He added that Bethell’s prior stint in the IPL has already offered valuable learning, while this year’s limited output makes the case for focusing on recovery. “As a young player, he was here last year, so he learned a lot. This year, he’s played a little bit, but hasn’t had a huge amount of success. But if he is injured, England has a training camp this week. Baz McCullum arrives in the UK on Sunday morning, and I think the training camp starts Monday. He should be back in the UK with the team.”
