Jordan Cox may not have taken the field for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during the IPL, but he still walks away with the title\u2019s 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\u2019s final was ruled out after a marginal call by the TV umpire. Even so, Cox says being part of a championship group is \u201can experience I\u2019ll never forget\u201d.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s trophy celebration at the Narendra Modi Stadium.<\/p>\n
Yet there is also an unavoidable what-if hovering over Cox\u2019s 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?<\/p>\n
England\u2019s 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\u2019s on Thursday.<\/p>\n
In that context, Cox\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Timing, however, is rarely kind in cricket. Cox entered last year\u2019s IPL auction on the fringes of England\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Cox\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2014playing padel and even watching films featuring Sacha Baron Cohen. Cox also spoke candidly about the emotional side of Bethell\u2019s Test moment: he says he \u201cstruggled\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cquite a hard thing to be there\u201d, but that Bethell has taken the opportunity \u201cwith both hands\u201d. Cox added that watching him become what he has become has been \u201cincredible\u201d, especially given Bethell\u2019s first-class hundred-less record at the time. In Cox\u2019s view, Bethell\u2019s ability to come in and \u201cshut everyone up\u201d shows he was \u201cthe man for the job\u201d.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s ODI debuts. Cox now hopes Bethell will get to experience a Test debut too\u2014whenever 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2014Cox\u2019s competition as the spare wicketkeeper-batter\u2014was set to debut at Lord\u2019s.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Cox argues that the IPL decision was justified. He described the tournament as the marquee competition in the world, adding that Test cricket remains \u201cthe biggest thing\u201d 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 \u201ca dream come true\u201d, simply to be part of an IPL team.<\/p>\n
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\u2014calling it \u201clife-changing\u201d\u2014and questioned why a player would not go and learn from the best.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cchewing his ear off\u201d about batting. Cox described Kohli as someone who would share \u201cevery single bit of information\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
He added that he has been fortunate to bat with Kohli in the nets on a few occasions, calling it \u201cpretty awesome\u201d. Cox also spoke about learning from Phil Salt, saying that batting with him\u2014described as the world\u2019s No. 1 ranked T20 batter\u2014has helped Cox understand different shot options and the types of opportunities to create against bowlers. Cox concluded that his approach versus spin has moved \u201cto another level now\u201d.<\/p>\n
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 \u00a358,500), 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.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Cox\u2019s goal is to convert the less tangible gains from his IPL spell into measurable runs over the coming weeks\u2014so 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.<\/p>\n
Cox wrapped up with a belief that he is close. Smiling, he said he feels he has been \u201con the cusp\u201d for three years. His hope is to return and hit the ground running, and then let events unfold from there\u2014\u201cand then what will be will be\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jordan Cox may not have taken the field for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during the IPL, but he still walks away with the title\u2019s official…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":13996,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2024: Jordan Cox RCB Title Tag After Near Miss","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"IPL 2024 update: Jordan Cox gets an RCB title tag despite snubs, recalling a near-miss in the final and his plans beyond the tournament.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n