Jacob Bethell ruled out of The Hundred due to injury

LONDON: Batting all-rounder Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of The Hundred 2026 due to a right knee injury, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Tuesday.

According to the ECB, the 22-year-old sustained the injury during England's third and final ODI of the home series against India at Lord's here on Sunday and underwent an MRI scan the subsequent morning.

"Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of The Hundred due to a right knee injury," an England statement said.

"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."

Notably, although the ECB did not share the timeframe of Bethell's recovery, he has become a doubt for England's three-match home Test series against Pakistan, scheduled to get underway in Leeds from August 19.

Bethell, who has represented England in 36 T20Is, was retained on a £340,000 contract by Birmingham Phoenix and named their captain. He has since been replaced by South Africa's Donovan Ferreira in the leadership role.

"It's frustrating to miss out on the Hundred, especially representing Birmingham Phoenix in front of our supporters at Edgbaston," said Bethell.

"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," he added.

The Phoenix, who finished in last year's men's competition of The Hundred, will kick off their campaign on July 24 against the previous edition's runners-up Trent Rockets at home.

Birmingham Phoenix squad for The Hundred 2026

Donovan Ferreira (c), Rehan Ahmed, Mitchell Owen, Saqib Mahmood, Usman Tariq, Joe Clarke, Will Smeed, Jordan Thompson, Scott Currie, Laurie Evans, Chris Wood, Ethan Brookes and Mustafizur Rahman.