Bethell in doubt for Lord's Test as finger injury ends IPL stint
Batter has less than a fortnight to be ready for first Test of the summer after finger injury
Jacob Bethell has emerged as a potential doubt for England's first Test of their home summer, against New Zealand on June 4, after injuring a finger while fielding for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the IPL.
Bethell damaged the ring finger on his left hand while diving to save a boundary in the final over of RCB's win over Punjab Kings in Dharamsala on Sunday. He was ruled out of their final group game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday night as a result, and was seen in the dugout with some strapping on his left hand.
The ECB said in a statement on Saturday night that they have agreed with RCB that Bethell should return home, and that he will be "fully assessed and monitored" by England's medical team to "determine his availability for selection" for the first Test at Lord's.
Bethell is due to bat at No. 3 in the first Test after scoring his maiden hundred in England's most recent Test innings, against Australia at the SCG in January. He has struggled for form with RCB, making 96 runs in seven innings, and his involvement in the IPL has been the subject of much debate within English cricket, with it being so close to the start of the international summer.
Somerset's James Rew is the spare batter in England's squad for the first Test, while Bethell's RCB team-mate Jordan Cox would be a contender for a call-up in the event that the injury rules him out.
Bethell's replacement at the top of RCB's batting order, Venkatesh Iyer, scored 44 off 19 balls on Friday night, while Phil Salt has also joined up with the squad ahead of the first qualifier against Gujarat Titans in Dharamsala on Tuesday after his own finger injury.
"Everyone at RCB wishes Jacob a speedy recovery and the very best for his rehabilitation process," the franchise said in a statement.
The rest of England's squad for the first Test are due to link up at Loughborough for a training camp on Sunday. The only exception is Rehan Ahmed, who remains at the IPL, though his Delhi Capitals side are unlikely to qualify for next week's knockout stages.