Jordan Cox may not have taken the field for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during the IPL, but he still walks away with the title’s official tag. His only on-field moments in his debut season came as a substitute fielder, and one near-miss will linger: a diving chance in Sunday’s final was ruled out after a marginal call by the TV umpire. Even so, Cox says being part of a championship group is “an experience I’ll never forget”.
From RCB glory to England Lions plans
With the IPL campaign concluded, Cox is set to head back to England and turn his attention to the next step in his pathway. He is expected to represent England Lions in their one-day series against South Africa A. His first outing at Grace Road is also expected to feel a different world from RCB’s trophy celebration at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Yet there is also an unavoidable what-if hovering over Cox’s return: what might have changed if he had spent the previous two months playing for Essex in the County Championship instead of being in the RCB environment during the IPL run?
Why the County Championship could have opened a door
England’s selection approach has shifted in the aftermath of a heavy Ashes defeat. The set-up made it clear ahead of the year that Championship performances would weigh more heavily when shaping the squad for the first Test against New Zealand, which begins at Lord’s on Thursday.
In that context, Cox’s counterfactual grows sharper. If he had been piling up runs for Essex rather than sitting within an IPL squad, there is a strong chance he would have been in the mix for Test selection.
Timing, however, is rarely kind in cricket. Cox entered last year’s IPL auction on the fringes of England’s plans across formats, and he was desperate to prove his case for white-ball cricket. At that point, after two seasons marked by huge scoring bursts, he could not have anticipated that County Championship runs would suddenly become a premium route back into the England picture.
Setbacks, friendships, and the cap he didn’t get
Cox’s rise has also been shaped by factors outside his control. Eighteen months ago, he was preparing to make his Test debut in New Zealand, only for a thumb injury to derail his plans in the nets. He watched Jacob Bethell take his place instead. Then, last year, another opportunity slipped away when Cox strained his side before a Test versus Zimbabwe.
Despite those disappointments, Cox and Bethell have grown close. Over the past few weeks in Bengaluru, they have spent time together away from the pressure of matchdays—playing padel and even watching films featuring Sacha Baron Cohen. Cox also spoke candidly about the emotional side of Bethell’s Test moment: he says he “struggled” to watch Bethell receive the cap Cox had expected to wear, and it took encouragement from his girlfriend, Amelia, to get him to the ground on the first morning in Christchurch.
What Cox said about Bethell’s breakthrough
Speaking from India before the IPL play-offs, Cox reflected on the difficulty of that day and the admiration that followed. He said it was “quite a hard thing to be there”, but that Bethell has taken the opportunity “with both hands”. Cox added that watching him become what he has become has been “incredible”, especially given Bethell’s first-class hundred-less record at the time. In Cox’s view, Bethell’s ability to come in and “shut everyone up” shows he was “the man for the job”.
Cox and Bethell also share history across formats. They made their England debuts together in a T20I against Australia, and were later present at each other’s ODI debuts. Cox now hopes Bethell will get to experience a Test debut too—whenever that moment arrives. Cox explained that their friendship has grown through late-night conversations, saying Bethell comes to his room and they watch films until 2am.
A chain reaction of injuries and selection logic
There was even a cruel twist to the timeline around Bethell. An injury that Bethell picked up could have left Cox thinking he made the wrong call by joining the IPL. In their penultimate group fixture, Bethell injured a finger while diving to save a boundary. After returning home early, it appeared that James Rew—Cox’s competition as the spare wicketkeeper-batter—was set to debut at Lord’s.
In the end, scans cleared Bethell of any serious damage, making it far more likely he will play regardless. Cox, meanwhile, feels reassured by another selection angle: with England’s middle order unchanged from the fifth Ashes Test, he believes he would have been unlikely to feature this week even if he had racked up runs early in the season for Essex.
Cox defends choosing the IPL
Cox argues that the IPL decision was justified. He described the tournament as the marquee competition in the world, adding that Test cricket remains “the biggest thing” for him personally. Still, at the moment, he says he could not turn down the opportunity: the lessons he learned and the quality of players around him were things he felt he could not pass up. He also called it “a dream come true”, simply to be part of an IPL team.
He points to his Essex Championship return as evidence that he has already backed his talent at county level. Cox said he has seven hundreds across two seasons and an average above 60, framing it as proof he has established himself in that arena. He added that if you have not been involved in this competition, you cannot understand what it is like—calling it “life-changing”—and questioned why a player would not go and learn from the best.
Learning from Kohli, spin progress, and the next England push
Cox credits the RCB environment with speeding up his batting development. He says he quickly struck up a friendship with Virat Kohli and spent two months “chewing his ear off” about batting. Cox described Kohli as someone who would share “every single bit of information” in his mind to help him, something Cox says he did not expect. He also noted that because Kohli has achieved everything one could aspire to in the game, the guidance feels complete.
He added that he has been fortunate to bat with Kohli in the nets on a few occasions, calling it “pretty awesome”. Cox also spoke about learning from Phil Salt, saying that batting with him—described as the world’s No. 1 ranked T20 batter—has helped Cox understand different shot options and the types of opportunities to create against bowlers. Cox concluded that his approach versus spin has moved “to another level now”.
While Cox admits it was frustrating to spend so long on the bench and that he is clearly eager to play again, he says his pro-training arguments from India are not simply about money. His RCB agreement is worth INR 75 lakh (around £58,500), which he noted is five times less than his contract with Welsh Fire in the Hundred. Despite that gap, he believes the time at RCB was worthwhile.
What Cox wants next
Looking ahead, Cox’s goal is to convert the less tangible gains from his IPL spell into measurable runs over the coming weeks—so he can force his way back into England squads. His immediate target is the white-ball tour: five T20Is and three ODIs against India in July. He also hopes there may be a route into the Test series against Pakistan after the Hundred.
Cox wrapped up with a belief that he is close. Smiling, he said he feels he has been “on the cusp” for three years. His hope is to return and hit the ground running, and then let events unfold from there—“and then what will be will be”.
