Jacob Bethell Ruled Out of The Hundred 2026 With Knee Injury, England Face Fresh Test Worry
Jacob Bethell misses The Hundred 2026 with a knee injury, putting his England Test spot against Pakistan in doubt.
England all-rounder Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of the 2026 edition of The Hundred after suffering a right knee injury during the recently concluded Metro Bank ODI series against India. The injury is also a concern for England ahead of their upcoming Test series against Pakistan.
The 22-year-old picked up the injury during England’s ODI series win over India. An MRI scan conducted on Monday, July 20, confirmed the damage, leading to his immediate withdrawal from The Hundred.
Bethell was set to captain Birmingham Phoenix and was one of the biggest names in the competition. The franchise had retained him on a £340,000 contract ahead of this year’s player auction, making him one of their most valuable players.
His absence is a major setback for Birmingham Phoenix, who have now appointed South African wicketkeeper-batter Donovan Ferreira as their new captain for the tournament.
The injury also comes at the worst possible time for Bethell personally. Just a day before the scan, he starred in England’s ODI series-clinching win over India at Lord’s. He was named Player of the Match after scoring a brilliant 91 and returning figures of 1 for 49.
Bethell has already started a rehabilitation programme under the supervision of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) medical team. The ECB will closely monitor his recovery before deciding when he can return to action.
His recovery timeline will be closely watched because England begin their Test series against Pakistan on August 19. The injury has already cast doubt over his availability for the opening match.
A longer recovery or the need for surgery would create a major selection problem for England. Bethell has become the team’s regular number three in Test cricket, and replacing him at the top of the batting order would not be easy.
The missed tournament is another disappointment because The Hundred would have given Bethell valuable captaincy experience. The ECB views him as one of the young players with the potential to take on bigger leadership responsibilities for England in the future.
