England have been dealt a body blow with all-rounder Jacob Bethell set to be ruled out for an extended period of time with a hamstring injury. Bethell, who scored a well-compiled fifty in the Nagpur ODI, missed the second game in Cuttack on Sunday, February 9 against India with England making three changes to stay alive in the series.
Sky Sports quoted a PA report which suggested that Bethell had experienced pain in his upper left leg following the ODI series opener in Nagpur. The scans revealed a suspected tear, which is likely to rule the left-hander out for four to six weeks. England have called wicketkeeper-batter Tom Banton from Dubai as cover for the all-rounder, who is coming off a sensational ILT20, smashing a couple of centuries playing for the MI Emirates. Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, who was struggling with his calf is expected to be fit for the third ODI.
The time window could probably see Bethell miss the whole Champions Trophy and may even miss a couple of games at the start of the IPL where he is scheduled to link up with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the 2025 edition.
“I’m pretty sure (Bethell) has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy, to be honest,” England captain Jos Buttler told reporters after his side’s defeat in the second ODI on Sunday. “That’s really disappointing for him. Obviously, he played nicely the other day and has been one of the really exciting players. It’s a shame that injury is going to rule him out,” Buttler further said.
While Banton has been called up as cover for the ODI series, England might look at someone like Liam Dawson, who did exceptionally well for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the recently concluded SA20, as a like-for-like replacement – left-arm orthodox and a lower-order hitter or even Sam Curran, who won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the ILT20, playing for the Desert Vipers.
England have already lost the series with India winning the Cuttack clash by four wickets but will be keen to avoid a whitewash. England will have a 10-day break before they begin their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign against Australia on February 22 in Lahore.
