England batsman Jacob Bethell, who had been called up for the IPL season, has been ruled out after suffering an injury to his finger, and it is now unclear whether he will be available in Tests against New Zealand national cricket team.
The 22-year-old was omitted from Bengaluru’s playing 11 for their losing effort against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday and had to miss the contest as his finger was injured, captain Rajat Patidar later revealed.
Bengaluru, who have topped the IPL points table, will take on Gujarat Titans in the first Qualifier on Tuesday.
Bethell also made his debut for Bengaluru this season, making 7 appearances and also showed some glimpses of his potential at the middle order.
But his injury has cast doubts on his appearance for England in their opening Test against New Zealand, which starts at Lord’s on June 4.
The 21-year-old left-hander was going to play at number three for England, after his fine innings against Australia earlier this year, on the Ashes tour.
The Test series is fast approaching and it’s time for Bethell to prove his fitness.
The England and Wales Cricket Board announced in a statement on Saturday that Bethell will make his way back to England for further evaluation.
According to the statement, the ECB has agreed to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru that Jacob Bethell will be sending himself to the UK as he suffered a left ring finger injury during his recent IPL match.
The board further stated that the medical staff of England would keep a close check on the batsman before deciding on his selection for the New Zealand Test.
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