Jacob Bethell ruled out of Champions Trophy (Source: AP Photos)
England suffered a major setback ahead of the Champions Trophy as promising all-rounder Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of the tournament due to a hamstring injury, skipper Jos Buttler has confirmed. England, who begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Australia on February 22, are in serious trouble.
Buttler Confirms Bethell Ruled Out
England's captain, Jos Buttler, expressed disappointment after their four-wicket loss to India in the second ODI, particularly for Jacob Bethell, who has been in strong form recently. Buttler acknowledged that Bethell had been an exciting addition to the team with his recent performances, contributing significantly to England's success. However, Buttler noted that Bethell’s injury is likely to rule him out of the upcoming Champions Trophy, a prestigious tournament.
"I'm pretty sure he's been ruled out of the Champions Trophy, to be honest. So, that's really disappointing for him. Obviously, he played nicely the other day and has been one of the really exciting players. So, it's a shame that the injury is going to rule him out," he said.
The left-hander, who scored a half-century and took a wicket in the first ODI at Nagpur, missed the match here as the visitors called up batter Tom Banton as a cover. The deadline to submit the final squads for the Champions Trophy is Wednesday and it remains to see who will be Jacob Bethell's replacement in the ICC event.
Jacob Bethell Injury: Will He Miss IPL 2025?
The 21-year-old felt pain in his upper left leg hours after the first ODI against India following which he underwent a scan. As revealed, a suspected tear has caused him hamstring injury, and hence, it is set to sideline the youngster for between four and six weeks. While, he has been ruled out from the Champions Trophy, there is no official confirmation whether the star performer will be missing IPL 2025.
In IPL, England's Jacob Bethell was purchased by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for INR 2.6 Crores. With such a serious injury, there are chances that he could miss out at least initial few matches if not the entire season. All eyes would now be on official updates, to further understand the severity of his injury.
[With PTI Inputs]
 "Muskaan Bhatt")
