England opener Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of the remainder of the IPL 2026. Royal Challengers Bengaluru confirmed the development on their social media, confirming that the 22-year-old has hurt his ring finger during the match against Punjab Kings and will now head back to England for further evaluation.ย
Meanwhile, because of the injury, Bethell didnโt play Bengaluruโs last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He otherwise had an extremely difficult season with the bat for RCB, scoring only 96 runs in seven matches. The Barbados-born was sensational for England in the T20 World Cup 2026, which resulted in enormous expectations, but clearly he failed to live up to the potential.
Now, Bethellโs absence wonโt hurt Bengaluru much as their star opener Phil Salt has rejoined the squad, recovering from the finger injury he suffered earlier in the season. He didnโt participate in the match against Hyderabad, as the RCB management was cautious ahead of their clash against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2026.
RCB finish top of the table
Despite suffering a 55-run defeat to Hyderabad in their last league game, Bengaluru have managed to finish at the top of the points table. With that, the Rajat Patidar-led side has also secured an additional opportunity to qualify for the final, in case they lose Qualifier 1 to Gujarat. In such a situation, Bengaluru will take on the winner of the Eliminator, which will be played between Hyderabad and the team finishing fourth on the table.
Bethellโs replacement
RCB havenโt clarified if they will sign a replacement for Bethell. They can look out for someone like Jonny Bairstow, or anyone young, keeping the next season in mind. If they sign now, the franchise will be allowed to retain the player ahead of the 2027 edition, which could interest RCB.ย
However, when it comes to playing XI, Salt is likely to return, while Venkatesh Iyer remains an effective option as well.
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