21-year-old national cricket team Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of the second T20I of the five-match series against the India National Cricket Team, which is at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai on Saturday, January 25.
Jacob Bethell is a talented all-rounder who was signed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. He set his base price as INR 1.25 crore and after a battle with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Punjab Kings (PBKS), RCB bagged him for INR 2.60 crore.
Also read: Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped, Sanju Samson picked as Suryakumar Yadav names Future T20 greats
Jamie Smith replaces new RCB recruit Jacob Bethell in the second T20i
England National Cricket Team made two changes to their playing XI for the second T20I against India National Cricket Team. Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse replaced Jacob Bethell and Gus Atkinson in the lineup.
Notably, Atkinson had a terrible day on the field in the T20I series opener as he was taken to the cleaners by the explosive India Batter Sanju Samson, who hit the Pacer for 22 runs in one. In all, Gus Atkinson bowled 2 overs and conceded 38 runs.
Jamie Smith made his T20I debut against the men in blue. The 24-year-old Wickeket-batsman has already played 9 Tests and 7 ODIs for the Three Lions but is playing T20I for the first time. He was presented with his debut T20I cap by his Surrey teammate Gus Atkinson.
🔁 Two changes from the first T20i
➡️ Carse and Smith come to Atkinson and Bethell
🧢 Jamie Smith makes his T20I debut
🪙 India won the toss and elected to bowl first pic.twitter.com/hbpelgowhy
– England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 25, 2025
Jacob Bethell not well – Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler lost the toss and speaking to guide Ravi Shastri, he revealed the changes in their line-up.
The England captain also revealed the reason behind Jacob Bethell’s absence from the playing XI, saying the youngster was not feeling well and was not fully fit to compete.
“We’d bow out first. Same game plans, look better. Hope it’s a good pitch and game. Bethell not well and Jamie Smith comes in. Atkinson misses, Carse comes in,” The England skipper Jos Buttler said on throwing.
Talking further about Jacob Bethell, the youngster has represented Team England at international level in all three formats and is seen as a future superstar.
Jacob Bethell featured in 3 Tests, scoring 260 runs and picking 3 wickets. The all-rounder played 8 ODIs, scoring 167 runs and taking 4 wickets. Also, he has scored 180 runs in 8 T20IS and is yet to take a wicket.
He was unable to make an impact in the first T20I against India at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and chipped in with just 7 runs.
Ind vs eng 2nd t20i game XIS
England (playing xi): Ben Duckett, Philip Salt (W), Jos Buttler (C), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
India (Playing xi): Sanju Samson (W), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy
