Bethell ruled out of The Hundred after right knee injury
Author: Vishnu Reddy
Updated At:
Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of the Men's Hundred 2026 and withdrawn from The Hundred after suffering a right knee injury during England's ODI series against India.
He underwent an MRI scan on Monday morning, and the England statement said: "Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of The Hundred due to a right knee injury,". It added: "Bethell sustained the injury during the Metro Bank ODI Series and underwent an MRI scan yesterday morning. He will begin his rehabilitation and we will update in due course."
Bethell had been retained by Birmingham Phoenix for £340,000 and named captain ahead of the season. The franchise, now under the joint ownership of Warwickshire and US investment fund Knighthead Capital, had hoped to make him the face of their Hundred campaign this year. England footballer Jude Bellingham is also a minority stakeholder.
Setback for Birmingham Phoenix and New Captaincy Appointment
Bethell said in a statement released by the franchise: "It's frustrating to miss out on The Hundred, especially representing Birmingham Phoenix in front of our supporters at Edgbaston. Unfortunately, I need to take the time to get back to full fitness. My focus now is on completing my rehabilitation and returning fully fit."
The Phoenix play Trent Rockets in their opening match on Friday night and have appointed South Africa's Donovan Ferreira as their new captain. They also have concerns around the availability of Mustafizur Rahman, who has joined the squad in Birmingham after he was injured on international duty this month.
"We're all incredibly disappointed for Jacob and gutted he won't be able to join us this year," Bond said. "It's frustrating to lose a player of his quality, not least your captain, this close to the tournament but his long-term fitness has to be the priority."
Ferreira, 28, has limited leadership experience but captained South Africa in four T20Is late last year and is a two-time Hundred winner with Oval Invincibles. "We're lucky to have someone of his stature to step into the captaincy," Bond said.
After a quiet start to the summer, with his preparations disrupted by a finger injury sustained at the IPL, Bethell had found form in recent weeks. He made 74 in England's third Test against New Zealand, hit 76* off 46 balls in the second T20I against India, and was player of the match in the ODI series decider, scoring 91 and returning figures of 1 for 49.
The ECB have not yet put a timeframe on his recovery, but England's first Test against Pakistan at Headingley is less than a month away, starting on August 19.
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