England’s top-order batter Jacob Bethell is expected to return to the UK after sustaining an injury to his left ring finger while playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the ECB confirms. Multiple reports state that Bethell damaged the finger during IPL action and subsequently missed matches for RCB, which played against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a fixture reported as occurring on Friday. RCB captain Rajat Patidar is reported as confirming the injury. Following the setback, Bethell flies back for medical assessment and England’s medical team monitors his recovery ahead of the start of the England home Test summer.
While the injury initially creates uncertainty around his availability, several outlets report that Bethell is expected to be fit for England’s first Test of the summer against New Zealand at Lord’s, starting on June 4. The Guardian and other sources describe him as a doubt until he is fully assessed in the UK, with his exact status for the series opener depending on medical evaluations.
