Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be without Jacob Bethell for the business end of IPL 2026 after the top-order batter was set to fly back to England to recover from a left-hand finger injury picked up during the league match against Punjab Kings on May 17. With the ailment ruling him out of the defending champions’ playoff plans, Bethell will not take part in the upcoming knockout fixtures.
Bethell appeared in seven matches for RCB during the season, contributing 96 runs in total. An ECB update confirmed that once he returns, he will be assessed by the England Men’s medical team to determine his fitness ahead of the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, scheduled to begin on June 4. He also missed RCB’s most recent league outing, against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad, because of the same injury.
In that Hyderabad encounter, RCB chose Venkatesh Iyer as their opening partner, and the batter made an immediate impression by striking 44 off just 19 balls. While RCB ultimately lost the game, their campaign still ended with them finishing first in the points table, which means they earned a direct path to Qualifier 1.
Looking ahead to the playoffs, RCB’s squad options may also be boosted by Phil Salt, who has rejoined the team after being unavailable for a month due to his own finger injury. Despite the defeat in Hyderabad, RCB’s top-place finish set up a Qualifier 1 showdown against Gujarat Titans on May 26 in Dharamsala.
