Jacob Bethell has become a possible doubt for England’s opening Test of the home season, with the first match against New Zealand set for June 4 at Lord’s, after he picked up a finger injury while playing in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Bethell struck his left hand’s ring finger while diving to stop a boundary during the last over of RCB’s win over Punjab Kings in Dharamsala on Sunday. As a result, he was ruled out of RCB’s final group match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday night, and he was later observed in the dugout with strapping on the injured finger.
The ECB said in a statement on Saturday night that it had reached an agreement with RCB for Bethell to return home. The board added that he will be “fully assessed and monitored” by England’s medical team to “determine his availability for selection” for the first Test at Lord’s.
Bethell is expected to bat at number three in the first Test, following his maiden Test century in England’s most recent innings against Australia at the SCG in January. However, his IPL form for RCB has been under scrutiny, with the batter managing 96 runs across seven innings, and his participation in the tournament has also sparked debate in English cricket given how close the IPL is to the start of the international summer.
Somerset’s James Rew is named as the spare batter for England’s first Test squad. In the event Bethell is ruled out, RCB team-mate Jordan Cox would be in the frame for a late call-up.
Bethell’s spot at the top of RCB’s batting order is being handled by Venkatesh Iyer, who struck 44 off 19 balls in Friday night’s game. Phil Salt has also joined the squad ahead of the first qualifier against Gujarat Titans in Dharamsala on Tuesday, after suffering a separate finger injury.
RCB said in a statement: “Everyone at RCB wishes Jacob a speedy recovery and the very best for his rehabilitation process.”
The remainder of England’s squad is scheduled to arrive at Loughborough for a training camp on Sunday. The lone exception is Rehan Ahmed, who is still with the IPL, though his Delhi Capitals side are unlikely to reach next week’s knockout phase.
