Jacob Bethell a doubt for England’s first NZ Test after injuring finger in IPL

England’s top-order batter Jacob Bethell will return to the UK to be “fully assessed” on the finger injury he picked up playing in the Indian Premier League.

Bethell was missing from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru side which lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday, with the captain, Rajat Patidar, confirming the 22-year-old had damaged his finger.

RCB did not provide any further information on the extent of the problem, but Bethell’s omission does raise some alarm bells less than two weeks before England’s first Test of the summer against New Zealand starting on 4 June.

The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed on Saturday afternoon Bethell would have further checks once he had returned home. A statement read: “The England and Wales Cricket Board has agreed with Royal Challengers Bangalore that top-order batter Jacob Bethell will return to the UK after sustaining a left ring finger injury while playing in the Indian Premier League.

“He will be fully assessed and monitored by the England men’s medical team on his return to determine his availability for selection for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s.”

Bethell is inked in to bat at No 3 having struck a superb century at Sydney in the final Ashes Test in January, but RCB’s involvement in the IPL playoffs mean he was already due to miss next week’s training camp in Loughborough.

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