4 min readUpdated: May 23, 2026 08:36 PM IST
Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday announced that England international Jacob Bethell will return to England after getting injured in a match against Punjab Kings and is expected to play no further part in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Bethell will be assessed by the England medical team ahead of their Test series against New Zealand, set to start on June 4. This means that the England international will not be available for RCB when they play Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday.
“Jacob Bethell sustained an injury to his left ring finger during our game against PBKS. He will return to England to be assessed ahead of their Test series,” the IPL franchise posted on X.
“The England and Wales Cricket Board has agreed with Royal Challengers Bangalore that top-order batter Jacob Bethell will return to the UK after sustaining a left ring finger injury while playing in the Indian Premier League. He will be fully assessed and monitored by the England Men’s medical team on his return to determine his availability for selection for the Rothesay first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, starting on Thursday 4 June,” England also confirmed the developments on their official X account.
🚨 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩: Jacob Bethell sustained an injury to his left ring finger during our game against PBKS. He will return to England to be assessed ahead of their Test series. ❤️🩹
𝙶𝚎𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗, 𝙹𝙱! 🫂 𝚆𝚎’𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞… pic.twitter.com/x6ipurfteA
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 23, 2026
Bethell, who was drafted in after regular RCB opener Phil Salt sustained an injury, didn’t make much of an impact before getting hurt himself, scoring just 96 runs in 7 matches.
Earlier in the month, Bethell had found himself in the middle of a spat between two of England’s greatest batters without actually uttering a word himself. And surprise, surprise! It’s got to do with the IPL.
During the first few weeks of the tournament when the young England left-hander constantly sat on the bench for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, former captain Alastair Cook opined that Bethell would be better served by returning home and playing some county cricket to be in the best position to perform well for England when they play Test cricket next. Bethell famously scored a century in Sydney during the ill-fated Ashes tour. It’s the last Test the team has played.
Official Statement – Jacob Bethell
The England and Wales Cricket Board has agreed with Royal Challengers Bangalore that top-order batter Jacob Bethell will return to the UK after sustaining a left ring finger injury while playing in the Indian Premier League.
He will be fully… pic.twitter.com/ruEFdDPIqf
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 23, 2026
Never the favourite child of the English cricket establishment, Pietersen countered that Bethell would benefit by being around some of the best players in the world and learning from them, even if he was not playing. For good measure, he added that Cook has “absolutely no idea what it’s like to be in the IPL.”
But Cook did not let the matter rest, suggesting there’s only so much a young player can learn without actually playing.
“I just gave my opinion and I can justify it by saying that at the time he wasn’t playing. Last year as well, he went to the IPL and didn’t play either, so he’s already had that benefit once or twice. In my opinion, he could have come back and actually played some cricket. Ironically, since all this has come out, he’s now played a bit,” Cook said on the Stick to Cricket podcast
