England’s star all rounder Jacob Bethell is set to miss the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy edition. The right-handed batter, aged 21, has scored 218 runs so far in nine 50-over games. He will therefore miss the eight-nation tournament that is supposed to take place in Pakistan due to a hamstring injury that he sustained during the first ODI between India and England played at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on Thursday, February 6
Bethell came out as a No. 6 batsman for England in that first match of the series and hit 51 runs from 64 deliveries, which included three fours and one six, and bowled three overs to take Shreyas Iyer’s wicket.
Jos Buttler, England’s white-ball captain, confirmed the news to reporters on Sunday after England’s four-wicket loss in the second ODI against India at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
“I’m pretty sure (Bethell) has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy, to be honest. That is 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 said.
England have not yet made it official concerning Bethell’s position, but Sunday saw the inclusion of Somerset’s Banton as cover.
The 26-year-old Banton has played six ODIs and 14 T20Is for England. But he last represented England in the 50-over format of the game when he played against Ireland in Southampton on August 4, 2020.
Having played 11 matches for MI Emirates in the recently concluded ILT20, Banton tallied 493 runs for the side commanded by Nicholas Pooran.
England will kick off its campaign in the Champions Trophy 2025 on February 22 with an match against fierce arch rivals Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Just four days later the men will play their second match again at the same venue, this time against Afghanistan. They will conclude their group stage games with a match scheduled at the National Stadium in Karachi on March 1 against South Africa.
Yet for England dismal record in the ICC Champions Trophy, they have not helped at all with the 2019 ODI World Cup-winning side finishing as runners-up in both the 2004 and 2013 editions of the tournament.
